Strangers in the corridor
by Esa-chan
Summary: New Chapter in the works!*WIP* Two life-long enemies find themselves faced with a choice, continue on their fated paths or help each other find the ability to change the inevitable future that awaits them.#Dramione 's somewhere between T and M in terms of rating, gradually moving towards more sexual themes. Rules have been broken for the greater good ;)
1. Discovery

**Disclaimer** -I'm not J.K. Rowling so unfortunately...I don't own the Harry Potter series...and as much as I love the series I think I'd probably write it quite differently. Here's my first attempt at a fan-fic.

 **A/N** : I'm rather new to the fanfic world despite being an avid reader. Most of my reading includes classical and fantasy literature. I'd really love to hear/read your input and thoughts. Please let me know if the format etc. is correct.

 **Discovery**

As she stomped down another corridor, Hermione realized that she hadn't thought things could go so wrong in a matter of minutes. One moment everything was the same and the next moment things took such a drastic turn, she could still feel the shock pulsing through her veins. She supposed she should have considered the possibilty, it was an inevitiability if she was being honest to herself. However, before that moment there was nothing to suggest it, she argued back.

She supposed it was her fault for not saying anything earlier, she sighed to herself. But how could he be so oblivious to the obvious, she rolled her eyes as the thought crossed her mind. Then she almost laughed out remembering this was Ron she was talking about, subtle hints just weren't going to cut it. She considered if perhaps, Lavender had tried to suggest her interest in him before taking matters into her own hands...and mouth...*Hermione shuddered as the memory flashed before her eyes*.

It would be a long time before she could unsee that image, it felt like it was burnt into her retina and stuck on replay. She stopped abruptly, taking stock of her surroundings she knew that she had wandered into an unfamiliar area of the castle. Clearly, five years wasn't enough time to explore every corner of the castle, how she wished she had taken the marauders map with her. She really hadn't been paying attention to where her feet had lead her, while her thoughts battled amongst themselves. She just needed some space to clear her head and the best way was to put some space between the common room and herself.

However, wandering around the castle at almost midnight would raise questions, if someone found her. All she had to do was figure out where she was, tracking her way back would be simple enough, she smiled to herself. She hoped everyone was happily tucked in bed as she took a turn into the next corridor. She stopped just before she rounded the bend, hidden by the shadows of the archway. Someone was giggling, a high pitched excited laugh, Peeves? No, it sounded like a girl. A second later she heard a voice say,"Pansy, did you hear something?" Pansy laughed again,"Draco, you know no one comes to this part of the castle besides it quite late. Don't leave me hanging, it's your turn to be nice to me." "Wait here." Hermione heard Draco say as she backed away as quickly and quietly as possible.

This corridor was long with absolutely no place to hide, she knew Malfoy would catch up with her any second and she knew that wouldn't do her any good. She was a few steps away from the next corridor, she scuttled as fast as she could and sighed in relief as she turned the corner. Something, most likely curiosity made her peek around the corner at the long corridor, for a fraction of a second her eyes met Malfoy's. Her eyes widened in shock as Malfoy's narrowed before she ducked her head and made a run for it.

Draco walked to the end of the corridor, frowning, he was certain someone or something had been there mere moments before his arrival. He'd seen its eyes glittering in the darkness and for some absurd reason he thought he recognised them. Only he had no idea whose eyes they were...he guessed Pansy was right he was getting paranoid.

 **Note-** Hello...I know this chapter was short but I'll write a longer one next time. I've not yet finalized on how I want the story to progress. Feedback will really help me know if I'm on the right track. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this and review it. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have, I'll try to respond asap.

Lots of love..Esa


	2. Realization

**Disclaimer:** It's absolutely tragic but I'm not J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter is a wonderful series but I don't own it. This particular fan-fic is of course inspired by the series. But I don't own the characters or the world they exist in. If I did I'd be practising my spellwork.

 **A/N:** Hi everyone, thanks to all the lovely people who read and reviewed the first chapter of **Strangers in the Corridor(SitC)** \- **Mrs.Haloona, Rouss Bz, chemnana**. I can't express how delighted I am to receive such wonderful encouragement within 24hrs of publishing. I got so excited that I pretty much ignored everything else and wrote the next chapter. I hope that I haven't rambled as I wrote it in a single sitting. **_Please feel free to point out any errors or oversights on my part, I don't know how to get a beta._** Hopefully I've not made any glaring mistakes that take away from the experience.

Ps-I've made some minor edits, that I think make certain thoughts feel more complete.

 **Enjoy!!** ;-)

 **Realization**

He'd not been himself since the start of this year and was perfectly aware that even though no one dared to question him, there were whispers amongst his peers. He'd considered telling Pansy or even Blaise about the situation but he knew that wouldn't help him, if anything they would probably get dragged into the mess themselves. It was an honour he reminded himself, but somehow he didn't feel particularly honored.

He felt cornered and coerced, the fear of an excruciatingly painful death loomed overhead and propelled his actions. Nothing brought him joy these days, he'd noticed a significant dip in his appetite. Annoying the Gryffindor trio no longer held any real amusement, he did it out of a sense of duty and without any enthusiasm. As much as he despised Potter, Draco had to give him credit for his keen observations, Potter had noticed the change and had started keeping an annoyingly close watch on him. He had been cautious so far and avoided any questionable behaviour. He glanced up at Pansy to find her frowning down at him. He'd been lost in his thoughts and wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing. Her expression said she wasn't enjoying it while her eyes glistened in pain. The coppery tang of blood on his tongue told him he'd bitten down too hard.

He felt guilty but he didn't show it. Pansy was a talented lover yet he was growing bored with her methods. She wasn't as exciting as she appeared. He wondered if she was getting serious about him. He had made it amply clear to her that their relationship was to satisfy their physical needs, she was not and would never be his girlfriend. She seemed to care as little about him as he did for her. But at the moment he was failing to satisfy her, and that failed the purpose of their arrangement. Evidently, he was a disappointment all around. He hated himself as he drowned in self-pity.

He stood up and glared at Pansy, who looked quite confused. "I don't want to continue this anymore", he declared suddenly. She continued to stare looking hurt. He glanced at her partially clad body, shirt undone, skirt hiked up, hair tousled and realised that she didn't excite him, not in the least. He sighed disapponited, before he turned and walked back to his dormitory.

Sleep had been elusive for quite a while but this night's events had left him feeling frustrated as well. He usually exhausted himself to the point where he'd practically collapse. He knew it wasn't a healthy habit but it was either that or insomnia. And insomnia did things to him, it made him think dangerous thoughts. It made him question things he'd never thought were to be questioned. Insomnia made his mind scream things that left him wondering if he really deserved to be a Malfoy or even a Slytherin.

He felt one of those betraying thoughts tread lightly on the edge of his consciousness as he closed his eyes, willing his mind to sleep. 'Please, go away, let me sleep' he pleaded silently. He heard shuffling footsteps in the next corridor, he tossed Pansy off himself, buttoning up his trousers and pulling his robes around him before stalking down the corridor which seemed never-ending. The eyes glittered in the dark before that someone stepped out of the darkness and sneered at him. Draco could see the scarlet irises focus on him and felt fear grip his heart. The voice was cold and cloying, its sweetness nauseated him,"I hate to be disappointed, Draco. You won't disappoint me like your father, will you? I feel terrible about punishing him, but how would he learn if I didn't. I had to do it for his sake." He felt his hatred for Voldemort course through him accompanied by the fear he felt at the thought of failing in his task. He awoke drenched in a cold sweat as he threw up half his dinner. He drew his wand for a quick 'scourgify' before he resigned himself to the idea that he'd not be going back to sleep anytime soon. He picked up a book from his bedside table and began reading where he'd left off.

Hermione got her bearings once she'd crossed another couple of corridors, she'd wandered to a far corner of the castle near the Slytherin dungeons. She avoided making any trips in that general direction, Slytherins' were a nasty bunch in her experience. While she neither had Ron's prejudice nor did she share Harry's enmity for Malfoy, she had unwittingly found herself at the receiving end of the Slytherin's malice just because of her birth. It was stupid, how could you be against someone for something that was beyond their control. But that was what blood prejudice was after all; a ridiculous belief that something beyond your control determined whether you were better than others or not. If things didn't always get as out of hand everytime Malfoy opened his mouth, she would have reasoned with him, if he was willing to listen to her. But she was being overly optimistic if she thought that he'd change just because she pointed out a flaw in holding a blood prejudice.

And why had she decided to waste her thoughts on Malfoy when there was the very disturbing matter of Ron and lovey-dovey Lavender. The replay of their passionate kiss flashed before her eyes yet again. Hermione considered oblivating herself but knew from everything she'd read that there could be irreversible damage and therefore it was not to be done. She realised that she wasn't particularly disturbed that Ron had decided to date someone other than her. But she wasn't happy with the idea either, yet she knew that she would have to be supportive after all they were best friends, buddies...*she scowled at no one in particular as she stomped up the last flight before stopping in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady who was mumbling in her sleep.* "Uhuhmmm... excuse me" Hermione said softly. "Oh... I was wondering when you'd be back," the Fat Lady yawned,"hope you had fun considering the hour." Hermione smiled as she gave the password and stepped into the opening behind the portrait.

She had to admit that the Fat Lady often said odd things, if Hermione didn't have so much on her mind she might have asked the Fat Lady, what she meant by that statement. The common room was largely deserted with the exception of a couple of seventh year's sitting in a corner finishing some assignment. She sat in front of the dying fire and prodded the embers with a poker that stood beside the fireplace. The embers glowered like her heart, she knew that she would have to conceal her anger. Ron wouldn't understand it and Harry had enough on his mind with losing Sirius weighing heavy on him. Harry acted as normal as he could but she saw the pain and sadness in his eyes when he didn't realize that she was watching him. She wished he would say something, but that was Harry, he wanted to help everyone no matter how impossible yet he never wanted to trouble anyone with his problems. He was a good friend, he knew her disappointment at this evening's development but refrained from saying anything when she'd given him a meaningful look.

She didn't want Harry to feel torn between his loyalty to Ron or her. She wasn't keen on explaining to Ron, that she'd harboured feelings for him since the third year, it was more than friendship but not yet love, of that she was certain. She was starting to feel drowsy when she recalled a pair of narrowed grey eyes watching her, she'd almost forgotten about their encounter. Malfoy had certainly seen her, but it didn't seem like he knew it was her. She was certain she'd walked in on something judging by Pansy's tone of voice and the fact that Malfoy hadn't managed to catch her in time. She'd heard numerous rumours about Malfoy being an infamous playboy but she was fairly certain he couldn't possibly have bedded every girl in their year, along with the 5th and 7th years. That would require not just a lot of time but an enormous sexual appetite. He'd have to be quite insatiable; could it be true though, she wondered. It would explain his recent disinterest in being a general pest along with the pale shadows beneath his eyes, that she'd noticed in their last potions class. Hermione snickered, Draco Malfoy would never do anything he wasn't happy doing, he wouldn't drive himself to the brink of exhaustion to satisfy some random girl. Hermione reminded herself that, whatever was happening in that corridor was none of her freaking business, it was between Malfoy and Parkinson how and where they conducted their clandestine affair.

As Hermione lay in bed she wondered if she'd have any high school romance besides Krum. Krum had been her first romantic partner and he'd have liked to do a lot more than hold her hand and have a few pecks on the cheek and some shy barely there kisses. Maybe she could take a trip to Bulgaria at the end of the year, he'd asked her to come last summer but the year-end events hadn't left her with the opportunity to plan a holiday. Hermione sat up in bed, was she really planning to meet Krum to get him to bed her. When had she become so depraved, she chided herself squeezing her eyes shut. Then she realized that everyone around her had someone, Harry had Ginny, Ron had Lavender so on and so forth, hell even detestable, despicable Malfoy had Parkinson. For some unknown reason this made her cry, she figured it was the hormones and possibly her anger at Ron and Lavender's passionate declaration that was putting her in a right sorry state.

She needed to put this night and all these thoughts behind her, she focused her thoughts on her pending homework, she had to finish her Transfiguration essay and her Ancient Runes translation was due the day after tomorrow, she'd start with those after tomorrow's class. She didn't have time for romance not with the impending threat of Voldemort. She had been a silly high school girl, wishing for romance just moments ago but if she wanted to be useful she needed to focus on her classes and homework, she told herself sharply. Let the ignorant waste their time and energy on love, she'd do the sensible thing. I'll put my time to good use, she decided as she turned over and closed her eyes, content with her argument. A small voice in her mind said that she was crying sour grapes, she firmly ignored that voice.

 **Note:** So how was it... better than the first chapter...am I doing it justice? Please let me know your thoughts and/or questions. I'm excited about how the story will turn out, in case I haven't mentioned it. Feedback will be greatly appreciated. Hope you're looking forward to the next chapter. I'll try to release the next chapter next Wednesday. Hope it's not too long a wait. I may just do an early release though ;-).

Lots of love...Esa


	3. Suggestion

**Disclaimer** -I'm not J.K. Rowling, from this you may glean that I probably don't own Harry Potter neither characters nor places.

 **A/N:** Hi everyone,

A big thank you to all my followers and everyone who has taken the time to read and review the story. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter...love it...hate it...whatever it is. It's very motivating to get feedback and maybe improve on certain aspects that I may have over looked. This is my longest chapter so far.

love...Esa.

 **Ps** -There were some spacing errors when I transfered the file...I've got to rush for a meeting so I'll double check on them later..I corrected whichever I could find in a quick read. Sorry if some lines look confusing.

 **Pps** : So I read through it and it turns out that during the transfer not only did I lose spaces between words, I lost entire words and phrases. Hope that everything rwads better now.Please msg me if anything looks out of sorts. Thank you.

 **Enjoy!!**

 **Suggestion**

Hermione was awoken much too early, by a banshee wailing. She would have been quite excited to see a real banshee, but to her dismay it happened to be Lavender's idea of singing. Hermione was no siren but she could hold a tune well enough. Lavender on the other hand was off-key, off-pitch and generally screaming the song instead of singing it. Hermione considered whether she should cast a songbird spell or a sound-proofing one. She was immediately assailed by an image of Ron fawning over Lavender's lovely voice as she sang whatever she was singing. Hermione may not have considered sabotaging their relationship but she certainly wasn't going to aid it either, therefore, sound-proofing herself seemed to be the best option.

Hermione awoke an hour later feeling much more rested but a tad confused as she tried to recall her dream. It had started with her reaching late for her Potions class and being forced to partner with Malfoy while Ron and Lavender sat at the table beside them and had continued to kiss throughout the class...* _she was certain that they wouldn't be allowed to kiss in class._ *Malfoy had noticed her growing irritation with the couple and offered to kiss her if it would help. Of course, he'd just been mocking her and regardless of whether she accepted or denied the offer, he'd find a way to try to make her feel that like she was inferior. She couldn't quite remember what happened after that but she was wandering around the corridors in the dark and she remembered feeling afraid, though the cause of her fear seemed to elude her.

She sat up in bed, frowning as she tried to remember what was bothering her about the dream. Parvati came over to Hermione's bed, and looking rather guilty as she blurted out, 'I'm sorry if Lavi disturbed you with her singing, I told her not to do it. But she says that's what happens when you're in love, you want to sing and dance and the world becomes a beautiful place.' Hermione raised an eyebrow and shook her head, dismissing Parvati's apology as she replied, 'Don't worry about it, I'd placed a sound-proofing spell to keep me from getting disturbed.' 'Oh', Parvati exclaimed her surprise reflecting in her eyes, 'then why are you frowning?' she continued. Hermione wondered how she ought to respond to the question...* _she didn't want to mention dreaming about Ron and Lavender kissing...she didn't want to say she was annoyed by it...she certainly didn't want to mention Malfoy's offer._ * She sighed and finally said that she was trying to recall her last dream but couldn't. Parvati looked at her with grave concern, the kind of look you give someone who may have caught a deadly infection,'It's really important that you remember it. They say morning dreams are usually a premonition of what is to come. Often warning us of impending dangers or opportunities that we need to make take up.' Hermione was about to tell Parvati that she didn't care what 'They' said, she didn't believe in this mumbo jumbo but she recalled how Parvati and Lavender loved Trelawney and all this nonsense. She nodded muttering something about needing to change instead of arguing as soon as she'd woken up. In retrospect, Hermione would realize that it was quite unlike her usual self.

Hermione didn't need dreams to tell her that Ron and Lavender would be all over each other, she could hear them as she entered the common room, they were in middle of a kissing session. Neville and Dean who must have been in a conversation with Ron before the session had begun were looking awkwardly at each other. They both stood up and rushed to greet Hermione. Hermione was good friends with Neville but Dean was more of an acquaintance, so his enthusiasm to greet her, left her smirking. 'Can you please ask him to stop this? It's getting a little out of control, isn't it?' Neville said in a quiet voice while Dean nodded his agreement. 'Why don't you two say something? You're his friends too.' Hermione said feeling quite guilty for refusing to help Neville. She hoped that some sense would prevail in Ron and he'd restrain his amorous activities to somewhere more private. At least Malfoy didn't make a spectacle of himself, Hermione thought recalling the last evening. Did she just mentally compliment Malfoy for his discretion? Clearly Lavender's singing had given her brain damage. She decided that she may want to see Madam Pomfrey, if she had any other unlikely thoughts.

As Ron was evidently quite busy with Lavender, Hermione headed down for breakfast along with Neville and Dean. Ginny rushed up to Hermione halfway to the Great Hall. 'Have you said anything to him yet?' she inquired loudly before noticing that Neville and Dean were walking ahead and turned to greet her. 'Morning' she greeted them brightly before dragging Hermione into an adjacent corridor for a private word. 'Well...' Ginny pressed on. Hermione knew that Ginny would support her, yet Ginny was Ron's younger sister and she didn't want to drag her into the matter, much in the same way she wanted Harry to stay out of it. 'I'm not going to disrupt things for him. He is first and foremost my friend and I want to be happy for him.' 'Are you serious?' Ginny looked incredulously at her, 'You can't just give up without a fight.' Hermione shrugged, she just wasn't in the mood to fight for Ron. 'Ron's such an idiot. How could he ever think that silly bimbo could ever match up to you? I'm going to tell him off right now.' Ginny proclaimed. 'No Ginny... please just let it be. He doesn't feel that way about me and there's nothing to be done about it. I really don't want anyone else to know about it.' Ginny looked like she wanted to continue arguing but decided that it was perhaps best to leave these things alone. 'See you at breakfast', she said before running to meet Luna.

Draco was on his way to breakfast when he saw the Weasely girl drag Granger away from the Great Hall. Something in their expressions piqued his curiousity and he decided to follow them. He was on the far end and it took him awhile to reach them. All he caught was the end of the conversation with Granger saying,'... _He doesn't feel that way about me and there's nothing to be done about it. I really don't want anyone else to know about it._ ' It was good that the suit of armour he'd been standing next to blocked him from their view as the redhead ran to meet Loony Luna. Granger looked quite sad about the matter and Draco wondered who she'd been talking about. Over breakfast he pondered about possible candidates that Granger could have developed feelings towards. He was so absorbed in this strange activity that he failed to notice the sour looks Pansy was throwing him. Nor did he notice the curious stares he was attracting from Blaise and Theo as he kept gazing at Granger over his morning pumpkin juice.

Truth be told, Draco Malfoy wasn't as pig headed as he behaved. He certainly was an entitled brat, who had been brought up to believe that he was better than everyone else. From his earliest days the idea of why being a Malfoy was such an honour and responsibility was ingrained deeply into him. His father trained him to walk, talk, sit, sleep and in essence exist as a Malfoy and nothing else. The people that his parents called friends re-enforced his father's ideas. And for eleven years that had been his only reality, his father controlled every aspect of his life, the books he read, the people he met, the friends he kept, the games they played. He was told every single day that his actions reflected on the Malfoy name. His mother was less demanding in her expectations but Draco soon learned that if she had to pick a side between him and his father, she would side with her husband.

Draco had never questioned his father's ideas, _but that would be a lie_. For you see, when Draco was about six, while he and his family were on a trip to France, Draco managed to stray from the wizarding group. He was found by a Muggle girl with large brown eyes who eyed his clothes suspiciously. He'd informed her that she was a Muggle and that he wouldn't speak to her. She had proceeded to inform him that he was making up words and that he would be sold for his organs if he didn't follow her. Terrified by the idea of Muggles carving out his insides, he'd followed her obediently. He'd waited with her for awhile before his mother found him and had disapparated. The Muggle girl had been nice to him, she'd found him crying and had offered him, her candy. When he'd returned to his parents and told them what had happened they looked quite upset. But that reaction had been nothing compared to his father's anger when Draco had asked to meet the Muggle girl again. The memory made him shudder till date.

He'd continued to grow up in his father's shadow, mirroring his ways. However, Hogwarts, once again allowed him the liberty to stray from path, only this time he wasn't going to blab his ideas to everyone. He'd maintain the façade of an arrogant,pureblood brat while living a separate private existence beyond the reach of his father. He had to be extremely cautious not to betray himself. He knew that this time his punishment would be severe to say the least. He didn't hate Granger because she was a 'Mudblood', he hated that she aced every test. His father never failed to criticize him that he'd been beaten by a Mudblood. If she were a Pureblood,he would have been allowed to befriend her. Draco found that while his father and mother along with their associates hated and even feared the other, he was plagued by curiousity. He'd wanted to take up Muggle studies in his third year, he wondered how the muggles managed without magic to aid them. So instead he'd borrowed books from the library by stealing the library cards of other students and morphing the covers to resemble something more suitable for a Malfoy to be found reading. He'd carefully chosen to surround himself peers such as Crabbe and Goyle who would be none the wiser to his secret activities.

Hermione however wasn't oblivious to Draco's repeated glances in her general direction.* _Did he see me last night? Is it possible that he figured it out?...Why should I be concerned it's not like I was doing anything wrong?_ * Hermione peeked at him over her copy of the Daily Prophet. Their eyes met for a brief moment, before Hermione could avert her gaze Draco raised his cup to her with a smile. Hermione's eyes widened in shock, there was no mockery in his eyes. She wondered if anyone else had seen what she had. But Ron could see nothing apart from Lavender and Harry was in an intense conversation with Ginny about their strategy for an upcoming Quidditch match. She chanced another look out of the corner of her eye but found Malfoy deep in conversation with Zabini. Surely, she must have imagined it.

Their first class that day happened to be Potions and Hermione was determined not to be delayed. Unfortunately she found herself paired with Malfoy nonetheless, despite her best efforts. Draco had noticed Granger glancing his way, probably because he'd been staring at her. So when he found himself paired with her for Potions, he tried his best to appear bored and disinterested. Professor Slughorn was teaching them to prepare the antidote to a love potion, which would be tested by administrating a love potion. The professor had put together unlikely pairs, such as Potter and Parkinson,Weasely and Brown,Nott and Patil and of course Granger and himself amongst others. Every single pair was throwing daggers at each other with the exception of Brown and Weasely who looked suspiciously excited. Draco wouldn't have noticed their excitement if he hadn't been seated right behind them. Granger was shooting daggers at him as well as Weasely and Brown. * _Could it be that the boy Granger was referring to was Weasely? No way...she wouldn't be so predictably boring, would she? Surely she could do much better than that, then again who was he to question her choices._ * As they began preparing their potions he noticed Granger throwing nervous glances at him, she usually scowled or frowned so this was very unlike her.

Draco decided to have some fun, he smirked at her muttering in low voice, 'Are you afraid that you're going to confess your true feelings for me when you take the love potion?' Granger gave him a haughty look and laughed, 'You wish,Malfoy.' 'Please, I'd rather have you hex me.' Draco said with a laugh. 'Maybe I will.' Granger said contemplating the idea. Somehow the conversation seemed more like light-hearted banter instead of threatening. While the others couldn't hear them,Malfoy and Granger laughing while having a conversation of any sorts was not only unheard of but unthinkable too. Pansy narrowed her eyes at them before she elbowed Harry saying, 'Potter, any ideas why Draco and Granger look so...umm...friendly today.' Harry looked up frowning, 'No idea, Parkinson. Honestly, I'd have thought one would have murdered the other by now.' 'Hmmm...' Pansy sighed as she continued with her potion, 'He was staring at her an awful lot during breakfast too.' Harry almost knocked over his cauldron as he turned to face Pansy, 'Malfoy was staring at Hermione during breakfast, you must be joking.' 'It's true,' she said looking offended at Harry's suggestion of it being a joking matter. 'Ask anyone at the Slytherin table, I'm surprised no one on the Gryffindor table noticed it. I suppose, it's silly to expect Gryffindors to be as sharp as Slytherins,' she smirked. Harry opened his mouth to say something but never got the chance to say it as Professor Slughorn approached their table and placed two vials of love potion before them.

Everyone had finished their love potion antidote and hoped that they'd done it right, who could say what would happen if it wasn't right. Professor Slughorn looked seriously at the class, ' ** _Students, please follow these instructions to the letter. Each of you is to pour the antidote you've prepared into a clean vial before you consume the vial of love potion, I've provided. In order for the love potion to be effective put a strand of your hair into the vial, stopper it and swirl it thrice in a clockwise direction. Each potion will take on a unique colour after which you must pass it to your partner to consume. Take a single sip and give it a few minutes for the potion to take effect, before you administer the antidote to your partner. At any given time only one of the participants should be under the influence ofthe love potion, I'm sure you understand why._** ' Professor Slughorn laughed at the thought of the Gryffindors and Slytherins going at each other.

Hermione and Draco poured their antidotes into their respective vials before adding a strand of their hair to the love potion. Each potion sizzled a little and changed colour gradually. Hermione's took on a rich dark chocolate while Draco's turned into a bright scarlet. 'Would you like to go first,m'lady?' Draco asked mockingly. 'I'd like you to take...' Hermione's words were cut short by a loud incoherent moan,'Oh Ron...oh my...ahhh...' Evidently, Ron had taken all of the love potion and was all over Lavender, who was moaning on the floor. Hermione's eyes darkened with anger, 'You like him, don't you?' a seductive voice whispered in her ear. Hermione found herself looking into Malfoy's stormy grey eyes, eyes that were glinting mischievously at her. 'No... I'm just concerned that Ron's making a right fool out of himself.' Hermione defended herself. 'He's made a fool of himself, plenty of times before but I've never seen that look on your face.' Draco continued,' You're behaving different and I'm not sure what's causing it.' Hermione looked incredulously at Malfoy...* _Malfoy noticed her change in behaviour, her best friends were failing to notice her moodiness but of all people Malfoy noticed...something strange was at work and she had missed it because she had been too preoccupied... distracted by last night's events._ *

'Why do care Malfoy?' Hermione sighed knowing it'd be pointless to deny it. 'I don't care but I'm curious,' he admitted. 'I see. Do you mind taking the potion first?' 'Very well, don't take advantage of me while I'm under the influence of it though.' 'I'm not Pansy' Hermione said the words before she had completed the thought and she saw Draco's eyes widen in surprise as he sipped the rich chocolate potion. He blinked and then a slightly glazed look came into his eyes. By this time Ron had recovered from the effects of the love potion and was giving Lavender the antidote and had positioned himself at an angle to observe Hermione and Draco's table. Hermione soon noticed that most of the class was observing her table. Draco was down on one knee before her, she would have laughed but knew that this was the love potion taking effect. 'I'm so terribly sorry for everything I've ever said to you. The truth is I admire you. You're intelligent, kind, brave and so much more. I could never hope that you'd ever feel love for me. If you'd give me a chance I'd make you the happiest woman in the world.' Draco said these words earnestly before standing before her and gazing into her eyes. * _Wow...he really knew how to sweep a girl off her feet...too bad he wasn't this charming all the time._ * 'Time for your antidote,Malfoy.' 'Call me Draco, I'm sick of being a Malfoy.' 'Very well, Draco please take the antidote,' she smiled as she held the potion to his lips. The effect of the antidote was almost immediate and Draco found himself with his arms wrapped around Granger, one clasping her waist pulling her close to him and the other entwined in her hair, which was softer than it appeared. He stepped back picked up her dose of love potion, and handed it to her. Hermione had been dreading this moment the entire class, she knew that the potion would elicit an unlikely response and she didn't want him to see her the way she had seen him only moments ago.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a sip of the scarlet liquid, it looked like blood to her. The potion tasted delicious and warm, like hot cocoa and she felt quite sleepy and comfortable. Draco saw Granger sway with her eyes closed and wondered if she was dizzy, but her eyes soon fluttered open and rested on him. She smiled up at him, 'Always loved your eyes, always. Behind all that malice and contempt is the real Draco,my Draco. This Malfoy, is just a façade, I wish I knew why you feel like you need to pretend to be someone you're not.' She said while running her fingers across his forehead and down his jaw line. 'Antidote, Granger,' Draco said stiffly before tipping some into her mouth and backing away as she came around. He picked up his bag and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

 **Note:** So now that you've reached the end, tell me. Was it good or did I stray from the path? Let me know your thoughts or favourite bits. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and are looking forward to the next release on Friday.

Lots of love...Esa.


	4. Reality

**Disclaimer:** Have I mentioned that I'm not J.K.Rowling? I have...thank goodness so she can't sue me...Harry Potter and ither characters along with the magical world if Hogwarts belong solely to her. But this story us brought to you by my imagination.

 **A/N:** Apologies for the delay in update. I just found myself a Beta...presenting **Mrs.Haloona** , my beta who really helped _overworked me_ by reading and editing this chapter so quickly. A big hug to her and a box of Every Flavour Beans and a Chocolate Frog. A huge **Thank you** to all my followers and reviewers. Please share the story and I'd love to hear your thoughts anything...good or bad.

Lots of love...Esa

 **Enjoy!!**

 **Reality**

Hermione realized that the entire class had suddenly busied themselves with packing away their things before heading off for their next class. Ron was positively scowling at her while Harry was throwing awkward glances. Before she could ask them why they were behaving oddly, Ron walked up to her table as she packed away her potions set. Slamming his palms on the table Ron sneered, "Did you enjoy your special time with Malfoy? You were all over him, it's like you really wanted him."

Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously as she spat, "Well at least I wasn't on the floor ready to hump him senseless, like some other people."

"I was under the influence of a love potion Hermione," Ron yelled back, his face flushing red in embarrassment. "Well so was I," she retorted back sharply before she picked up her bag and headed to Ancient Runes without a backward glance. "What's she so mad about?" Ron asked Harry in a confused tone. Harry shook his head in disbelief, Ron could be awfully thick at times. He thought for a moment, deciding to keep his answer simple. "You accused Hermione of getting it on with Malfoy while excusing your own behaviour as the effect of the love potion. Obviously, Hermione feels that you're being unfair in judging her considering she was under the effect of the potion too."

"Oh...yeah I guess, you're right but I'm dating Lav. She's not dating Malfoy, is she? If she were she'd tell us right?" he continued doubtfully. Harry shrugged, "Not if you behave like that she won't." Ron grinned sheepishly, Harry smiled back but thought to himself * _I've got to talk to Hermione about the potions incident, Ron maybe clueless but I know she's hurting and this must have upset her...added to that Ron's accusation couldn't have made her feel better_ *.

Hermione loved that Ancient Runes was one of those classes that let you think. While it wasn't easy memorising cryptic symbols and interpreting the myriad of possible meanings in any single text, it allowed you to spend time on your thoughts with little or no intrusion. Hermione was quite skilled at runic interpretations, not that she didn't excel in other subjects but runes came to her quite naturally like flying did to Harry. She'd practically been a year ahead in her understanding and proficiency of the subject. Of course, Hermione being Hermione, still did her homework with the same attention and dedication as the rest. Nonetheless, runes held a very special place in her heart, she loved how a text could be translated into something deep and meaningful or something totally ridiculous. Perhaps after Moldy Voldy ( _the silly nickname Peeves had given him was a favourite way to refer to Voldemort_ ) had been vanquished, she'd pursue a career as a runic translator. Professor Babbling had mentioned that as the subject was perceived as tedious, it wasn't a popular career choice.

It wasn't runes that were occupying her thoughts today however, instead she was replaying her Potions class in her head. In a strange turn of events, two things from the dream had turned into a reality. The two of three that she'd been able to recall, she corrected herself * _First... getting paired with Malfoy for Potions even though it wasn't because she was late. Second... Ron and Lavender had kissed in class, before her very eyes. The third one may have turned into a reality too, if she'd let Draco remain under the influence of the potion.*_

Hermione shook her head in dismay...* _When had Malfoy become Draco to her?... He'd asked her to call him Draco while he was under the influence but she was pretty sure that what had happened in Potions would stay in Potions._ * She sighed at the thought for reasons she couldn't fathom. She had wanted to hit Ron, how dare he accuse her of wanting Malfoy when he had been all over Lavender, a few more minutes and they'd have done it in front of the entire class. Hermione refrained from name calling unless necessary, but Lavender was behaving less ladylike with every passing day. Then again, Lavender's unladylike ways had got her to date Ron, something that Hermione hadn't managed despite being one of his closest friends. Hermione held back a sob, she couldn't breakdown in the middle of class.

She was surrounded by people yet feeling lonely all the same. The only other time she recalled feeling this way was during her first year, it had been Ron who'd called her a know-it-all back then, she'd never forget getting attacked by that mountain troll. She couldn't tell Harry or Ginny, they'd worry too much about her or say something to Ron or both. She could tell Luna she supposed, but wasn't sure if that would really help her, Luna tended to be quite vague with her advice. Hermione found that while she knew a lot of people at school, her friends were limited to a few Gryffindors and a lone Ravenclaw. During their last year, they had become a little more familiar with each other through the DA but not enough for her to confide in anyone. She felt the tears brimming and took a large calming breath as she finished her translation as quickly as possible. "May I be excused Professor Babbling, I need to use the washroom", Hermione asked quietly, handing in her work. "Certainly, my dear. Ms. Granger, if you don't mind could you meet me this evening after dinner?" Professor Babbling smiled before handing Hermione a note to excuse her from the class. "Yes, Ma'am" Hermione replied with a forced smile before exiting the classroom. She rushed to the perfects bathroom on the 5th floor which was the closest to a secluded space she could hope to find at short notice. She locked the door before sitting in front of the floor to ceiling mirror that was housed to the left of the bath area, before she burst into tears. Her sobs bounced off the walls, echoing around her like she wasn't the only one crying but the room was crying with her. She didn't know if it was minutes or hours that she'd been crying but her eyes were swollen and her throat was choked with sobs by the time she was finished.

She gazed at her reflection to see if she looked as horrible as she felt, but her eyes widened in surprise to see another face staring at her in the mirror. Hermione waited for the insults to pour forth, for insults that never came. Malfoy kneeled before her, staring at her eyes with a realization dawning in his own, "I knew I'd seen those eyes before, it was you who spotted Pansy and me wasn't it?"

Hermione nodded mutely wondering... * _was he going to carry out some elaborate punishment for her accidentally chancing upon them._ * Her wand was in her bag by the door, she'd locked the door to keep anyone out but in her distraught state she'd forgotten to see if anyone was already there. "I didn't mean to spy on you" she sniffed "I was furious with ... anyway and I was walking around to cool my head but I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and got quite lost. I didn't see anything, I swear, I walked away when I heard you", she finished anxiously. "Are you afraid of me?" Draco asked, still looking at her. Hermione was beginning to feel nervous under his constant gaze * _What was going on with Malfoy... he's behaving in the most peculiar manner_ * but she stared back defiantly, "No, I don't see why I should be." "Do you hate me?" he continued. "When you're mean and cruel, yes, I guess I hate your actions but I don't hate you, I never did." * _What was this strange interrogation about?... Did I say something weird when I took the love potion?... I can't recall anything between drinking the potion and Malfoy leaving the room._ *

Draco knew that he needed some time to compose himself after the strange events during his Potions class. He ensured that he'd been marked present before sneaking a quick escape from Professor Binns class. He headed for the perfects bathroom, he wanted an isolated space and he was certain that as classes were in session, it would be deserted. Draco entered and checked that it was empty before heading to his favourite corner window that overlooked the Black Lake. Even if someone entered he'd be hidden from their view by the large stone pillar. He reviewed all that had happened, Granger's defensive tone at her anger towards Weasley meant that his suspicion had been spot on. He had no memory of what he'd said while under the influence of the love potion but when he'd come around, he'd found himself standing absurdly close to Granger. He had her pressed against him, with one arm around her waist, while his other hand was entwined in her hair. He could still feel the silken strands between his fingers, he hoped she didn't realize that hed been aroused. He'd have probably followed Weasleys example if she hadn't given him the antidote. Her actions could be attributed to the love potion, but her words had come from a deeper place, a place of understanding that shocked him to the core. Clearly, Granger wasn't just a bookworm, she understood a lot more than the average person. Draco decided that he needed to speak to Granger in private, neither her friends nor his world approve but he needed to ask her what had happened. How could he convince Granger to have a secret meeting with him? Maybe he could try to catch her after class * _no, her friends were always around and it would turn into a fight_ *. Draco was still pondering a way to talk to her when someone entered the bathroom, threw their bag on the floor and after muttering a complex locking charm, started sobbing. The sobs were heart wrenching, the pain was evident and he was hidden in the corner wondering if he should say something or just wait until they left.

Draco decided to take a peek at the person crying and was surprised to find that it was none other than Granger. * _What had happened to make her cry so bitterly? She sounds heartbroken._ * Taking a deep breath he walked towards her and waited until she stopped crying and looked up. She was surprised to see him and looked anxious. She answered his initial questions honestly and he was about to ask her what had happened during Potions when she looked at him almost blushing and asked What happened while I was under the influence of the love potion? Draco smiled a genuinely amused smile before saying, "You know, I was about to ask you the same question, but seeing as I was the first to take the potion, it's only fair that I get the answer first too. Don't you think?" Hermione nodded, considering his request wasn't unreasonable. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes recalling the conversation. "First you apologized for everything you've ever said to me. Then you said that you admired my intelligence and kindness. Then..." Hermione's eyes flew open as she stared at Draco "...you said that could never hope that I'd love you and that if I gave you a chance you'd make me the happiest woman in the world." Draco looked bemused, "Don't tell me you believed me, Granger? It's a love potion, it's job is to delude you into feeling things that you'd never feel if you are in your right mind" he laughed.

"I know" that Hermione replied, thinking that someone probably ought to give Malfoy love potions all the time, he'd be much nicer. "Oh and I almost forgot, you asked me to call you Draco not Malfoy. You said you were sick of being a Malfoy." Draco's eyes darkened at this, "You're making this up, I'd never ask you to call me Draco nor would I ever besmirch the name of Malfoy." He got up angrily and went to the corner to pick up his bag and walked to the door, only to realize that it was locked. "Unlock the door Granger, I'm not spending another second with a filthy, lying..." the insult was left unsaid as a shoe hit Draco squarely in the chest.

It took him a full five seconds to look down at the shoe before he started laughing. He picked up the shoe and Hermione cringed. "I'm not going to hit you Granger, haven't you realised that by now," he said bending down before her and putting the shoe back on her foot. "What's going on with you? One minute you're throwing insults at me... the next moment you're putting my shoe on my foot instead of beating me to a pulp for throwing it at you." "Hmm... meet me at the same corridor tonight. I'll tell you what happened while you were under the effect of the love potion." Draco helped her get to her feet as he handed her, her wand. Hermione unlocked the door feeling confused as he left. "I'll be waiting for you," he said over his shoulder with a quick smile at her.

Hermione hadnt been prepared to find Malfoy in the bathroom with her. He'd not mocked her for crying her eyes out, he'd actually been quite civil until she'd mentioned that statement of him being sick of being a Malfoy. She knew it was childish of her to throw her shoe at him but it seemed like a good idea at the time. His reaction had been unexpected and he'd been almost gentlemanly to her. Hermione realized that she felt better now, something about that odd interaction with Malfoy had made her feel normal. She washed her face and used a few glamour charms to fix the swelling around her eyes. She wondered if she should tell Harry and Ron about the incident, but decided against it. She didn't trust Malfoy but she knew that if he had wanted to hurt her, he could have done it while she was stuck in the bathroom with him. She wanted to hear what had happened in potions. However, she would need to be careful, it could just be an act that Malfoy was putting on. She knew his scores were second only to her own and he was cunning. Hermione realized that her curiosity might be the death of her someday, as she headed to the Great Hall for lunch.

 **Note:** _Thank you for reading._

I'm glad to be able to churn out two chapters a week. This will probably go to once a week by mid-Feb on account of my Masters Programme. I'm genuinely thankful to each and every reviewer and reader, it's really encouraging and a driving force, that makes me stay up way past my bedtime to update a new chapter. Its 2.45am right now...and I have a class at 8am. See what I mean.

I love you guys...Esa.


	5. Après

**Disclaimer:**

Apparently, I'm not Ms. Rowling and therefore don't own Harry Potter the series, characters, locations etc. I do however own this particular imagining of the characters.

 **A/N:** I'm sorry that this chapter has come out so late. I think I'm going to update chapters once a week. My new beta and I are in different time zones and I'm still getting a hang of things. I really appreciate her help though, I feel that the writing has improved immensly from her input especially when it comes to clarity of the plot. So a very big thank you to her.

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the story. Really love hearing that you like the story and want to know what's next. Trust me this story is really just getting started.Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think.

Lots of Love...Esa

 **Enjoy!!**

 **Après**

Draco continued nibbling at his apple crumble as he ran _the bathroom scene_ over in his mind, wondering what on earth he had been thinking when he asked Hermione to come meet him after curfew. Ever since Voldemort's official return, the school had begun taking very serious action against any type of rule breaking. Wandering around after hours wouldn't just get you detention or loss of house points anymore. If you repeatedly broke the rules you'd have a letter sent to your family and then possibly get suspended or expelled. Draco had already found out what he'd wanted to, so why did act like he did, he wondered. He repeatedly shook his head every time he thought about it, much to the confusion of those at dinner with him.

Pansy had finally had enough and she stalked over to Draco, "Are you feeling alright? You've been behaving oddly all day. You spent the morning staring at Granger and you've been shaking your head all afternoon. I'm starting to believe the rumours that you're losing your mind, Draco." * _Had it really been that bad and so obvious that people had started to gossip about it... hmmm... perhaps it was. After all he was one of the most well-known students at Hogwarts, especially after his father's trial._ * "Honestly, I can't be certain, but it's always great to hear that my friends think I've lost my marbles. If you happen to find any rolling about, would you be so kind as to return them." He said clearly, in cool voice that was dripping with sarcasm, his grey eyes cold. His remark quickly squashed any rumours at the table. Regardless of his behaviour, Draco Malfoy was very much Draco Malfoy. If you got on his wrong side then you'd probably get more than you bargained for, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. Pansy's eyes brimmed with tears "I was only worried about you, after all we're more than just friends..." She left the sentence hanging and looked somewhat hopefully at Draco. "No, we're not," Draco said with finality and turned back to enjoying his apple crumble and gazing at Granger as she waved her arms animatedly while talking to Potter. * _She's looking much better, he thought smiling to himself._ * He watched as she finished her conversation, picked up her bag and exited the Great Hall.

Hermione headed to Professor Babbling's personal quarters. "Hermione my dear, glad you could make it. I've got some excellent news. A friend of mine is looking for an intern over the summer. If you're interested in the position, here are samples for you to translate. You'll need to hand them in next week, but if you need more time due to school assignments please let me know." Hermione was grinning broadly at the prospect of working as a translator. "Don't worry Professor I'll have these ready as soon as possible. I'm really honoured, thank you."

Hermione slowly made her way back towards the Gryffindor tower when she remembered that she was supposed to meet Malfoy. * _She slapped her forehead when she realized that she was definitely late... would he even be there if she went now... she'd just have to go and see for herself._ * She retraced her path back to the corridor and found Malfoy sitting on a ledge by a window. He appeared deep in thought and didn't seem to notice her. She cleared her throat and he looked up at her, the frown on his face disappearing, only to be replaced by a smirk. "I thought you'd forgotten about our meeting when you weren't here 15 minutes after dinner. I thought you were the punctual sorts Ms. Granger," he tutted jokingly. Hermione was surprised by his tone and behaviour, Malfoy was being absolutely unlike himself and she wondered what had gotten into him. She also contemplated if she should look at any unusual side effects of love potions and their antidotes. Perhaps some adverse reaction was causing him to be so uncommonly pleasant. She returned the smirk with an insolent grin saying, "I usually am rather punctual Mr. Malfoy, however, this afternoon due to my utter shock at your behaviour, I failed to mention that I had to meet Professor Babbling. I do apologize for the wait."

"It's ok, I needed the time to think. So, tell me Granger; why are you here, past curfew to meet up with your nemesis in a corridor where you saw him making out with another girl?" He asked with an evil grin.

Hermione's smile disappeared at his words and she gripped her wand tightly, readying herself for an attack. Despite the rising tension, she managed to reply in a calm voice, "It does seem really odd when you phrase it like that, almost sounds fishy. I really just wanted to know what happened while I was under the potion. You got your answer, I want to have mine."

"Ok," Draco grinned impishly, "First of all you said you loved me. Then you confessed that you've been in love with me since the beginning, and you fantasize about losing your virginity to me. So, taking that into account I thought we should meet here and make your dreams come true."

Hermione's jaw dropped as her eyes bulged. She made an odd strangled sound before she yelled, "You asked me to come here to have _sex_ with you! I thought you might have changed but you're just the same arrogant bastard I've always been told you were. I don't know why, but I always felt that there was more to you than meets the eye. I guess I just wanted to believe that everyone has some good in them." Hermione paused before she turned around sharply and began walking away. Draco had only been joking and quickly ran after Hermione. "Granger wait up! Don't you want to know everything you said and did with me in the potions classroom?" he coaxed her. "I've heard enough" she snapped, "Clearly, I'd never let you fuck me if I'm in my right mind." Draco smirked at that statement. "Is that a challenge Granger?"

Hermione shrugged "You can take however you want but if you think it is a challenge, I doubt you'd succeed. You need a complete personality makeover. Besides, I don't see why you would ever want _me_ to love _you_?" Draco opened his mouth to tell her, why he would be thrilled if she were his lover but stopped himself just in time. Instead he said, "Good point Granger. Why would I want to do so much work just to shag a nosy know-it-all Gryffindor when every other girl at school will fuck me just the way I am."

"You're a disgusting pig Malfoy." Hermione said with feeling. "That really hurts my feelings" he snarked, pretending to look devastated by her words. " _Don't_ know and I certainly don't _care_ " Hermione said coolly in a bored tone, as she looked up at him, he was standing close to her, blocking her exit. "That sounds like something a Slytherin would say, you're sure the Sorting Hat didn't put you in the wrong house?",he inquired slyly. Hermione stuck her tongue out, "Don't think so." How did Malfoy always manage to get under her skin, although now it seemed like he wanted to get under her skirt too.

Draco laughed, "I really love your spunk, Granger. Before you leave however, you should know that everything I said earlier was a lie." Hermione glared at him, she would have punched him in the face but couldn't raise her arms above chest level as he was holding her tightly by the shoulders. She pounded his chest with her fists instead. She was hitting as hard as she could but all Malfoy did was pull her closer, gripping his arms across her back. "Oops," someone giggled as they entered the corridor, "looks like this room's taken. Let's go elsewhere Won-Won."

Hermione stiffened at the sound of Lavender's voice, a part of her wanted to run after them.* _and do what... the small voice in her head asked her...tell them to stop snogging, touching, fucking...who was she to say anything... best friend... shouldn't she be happy that he was happy... then why was it so hard to breathe...why were her eyes pricking...she thought she'd be ok...she wasn't...she knew that she couldn't avoid them forever... Ron was one of her best friends...best friend... that word kept coming back...why had they come here...to do it probably...but it was just 24hrs since they'd started going out... what was the hurry... didn't they want to get to know each other... this wasn't love...it was lust...was it lust that she felt...no she couldn't...she wasn't like that...was she...could she possibly enjoy someone's body without loving the person in it...she took a deep breath and inhaled a lovely masculine scent, a mix of expensive perfume and pheromones..._*

In her distress, Hermione had stopped pounding Draco's chest and instead clutched it tight, digging her nails in deeper as her thoughts had begun to spin around her head. When she snapped out of it, she realized why Lavender had thought that the room was taken. Draco and she looked like they were in an embrace. Hermione was shocked to find her fingers digging into his chest and that the tears that had been streaming down her cheeks had left a damp spot where her head had rested. She looked up at him, expecting him to mock or jeer at her but saw anger instead. She tried to back away, frightened by what she saw but he held her firmly. " **Imbecile** ," Draco ground out angrily. "How long have you liked him?" he asked in a more controlled tone.

"Why do you care?" she whispered. "Just answer the damned question, Granger." Draco demanded. "Since our third year", Hermione looked down at her feet. "I don't want to _break them up_ or anything," she added when she saw a mischievous glint settle in his eye. "Of course," replied Draco smoothly "I wouldn't suggest anything as damaging as that, but would you like to make him feel the way you're feeling now? Rejected, discarded...etc"

"Hey! There's no need to rub it in my face," Hermione retorted. "When you took the potion, you said that you loved my eyes. That beyond the malice and contempt lay the true Draco, that Malfoy was a façade... someone I'm pretending to be" he conceded. "Oh... I see... then why did everyone have this look on their faces like we'd done something like Ron and Lavender had...and why did you leave class so abruptly?"

"So full of curiosity, little kitty" Draco smiled, tapping her on the nose. Hermione scowled at him but he laughed in response. "How about we sit down and have this conversation or do you like having my arms wrapped around you?" He raised an eyebrow, when she jumped at his words. Hermione wondered when had she reached this level of physical comfort with Malfoy. * _She made a mental note that the words 'physical comfort' and 'Malfoy' should never be in the same sentence with regard to herself at least. She did acknowledge however that when he wasn't being a nuisance, he was rather charming with his easy-going attitude and natural wit._ *

They sat by the window facing each other, their bags on the floor besides them. They sat in silence for a few minutes, each of them dealing with their own thoughts, before Hermione said," You haven't answered my question yet." "What question?" Draco asked. Hermione narrowed her eyes, "The one about why you ran out of class and why everyone was looking like I'd given you a lap dance?"

"Honestly, you'd do well in Slytherin with that wicked mind of yours, actually what you said in class would have been fairly inaudible to anyone. It was your body language that probably creeped them out," he said contemplatively. "Will you just tell me what I did? Stop stalling" she demanded, standing in front of him. Draco's head was only just a couple of inches below her even though he was sitting and she was standing, but it was all she needed to glare down at him. Draco smiled up at her, "Has anyone ever told you that you look adorable when you're angry? It's a rare quality because it doesn't make you any less intimidating. It brings this lovely golden glow into those flecks in your eyes." Draco ran his fingers across her forehead and down the side of her face and neck, before playing with the silken strands near her ear. Hermione felt a shiver of something she couldn't define, was it _anticipation_? "That's what you did while telling me that you loved my eyes and that you wanted to know the real me. Do you understand why I ran now?"

"That's just the effect of the potion. You practically proposed to me and I apparently tried to seduce you," she said quietly.

"It felt ridiculously real though. The idea that you thought I was better than I behave, well it kinda shook me up, l guess." Draco admitted with his eyes closed.

"I can see why that was so traumatic," she replied dryly. They were once again in a near embrace, his hands were playing with strands of her hair and at some point she'd placed her hands on his shoulders. Hermione wondered if she should play with his hair too, a small voice in her head said ' _What's the harm? It's just his hair.'_ While her mind started to wonder how far would things have gone if they'd both taken the potion, her fingers started to run through his hair. Draco's eyes snapped open to look up at her and he pulled her closer, there was something comforting about her. He'd been really disappointed when it had been more than 10 minutes after dinner and she hadn't shown up. * _He gazed at her, smiling as she played with his hair, he wanted to memorize every sensation...the feel of her fingers as they drew random patterns on his skin as she moved her fingers this way and that... the vanilla caramel scent of her skin... the buzzing in his fingers as he ran his palms up and down her back before going back to play with her hair_...*

He knew what it was to be rejected, discarded...to feel unwanted by the one you loved. He'd been too young to see it or realize it at first, he'd hated Ron on instinct. Draco had thought puberty was messing with him when he'd started having the hots for Granger, he made sure no one ever heard of it. He'd begun with having wet dreams that involved Granger, in his mind he'd had her in every room in the castle he could imagine. It's just harmless fantasy he'd told himself, each time he came.

It wasn't until the fourth year that he realised he was well past fantasy and in a different zone altogether. She'd looked gorgeous at the Yule Ball and when Blaise had asked Draco if he wished he was in Krum's place he'd said a clear yes before common sense kicked in. He'd quickly added that he wanted to be a World class Quidditch player. After the ball he'd gone back to his dorm alone, people were hooking up all over the place but he wanted to know when had this fascination begun. He thought back to his second year when he'd visited her every evening after her friends had left. He'd gaze at her petrified form and silently plead that she'd realise that he just said the whole mudblood thing to sound cool, and because all his actions were reported back to his father, because he didn't really want her to die.

The night after the Yule Ball had been one of his worst, he was glad no one was in the dormitory that night, he'd cried himself to sleep. His first love would remain forever unrequited and he would have to keep up the act of hating her for her birth even though he didn't give a damn about blood purity.

So, for now, he'd forget about acting and enjoy this impossible moment of Hermione hugging him willingly, and allowing him to touch her without flinching away like he was diseased. Perhaps he'd even go so far as to think that she was actually enjoying this with him.

Suddenly Draco had an idea, a wicked idea, one that would allow him to fulfil his fantasies and allow her to get the nastiest revenge on Weasley ever possible. But he'd have to keep the truth from her, after all there was no way she'd ever date him, for real.

 **Note:**

So did you like it? Things will still take a while to really heat up, so please be patient. This is certainly moving into the M rating in the next few chapters. I hope you're looking forward to reading it as much as I am creating it. Please review, follow and share. I really look forward to reading your reactions to the characters and the plot.Will try and get the next update soon.

 **Lots of love..Esa.**


	6. Plan

**Disclaimer:** You Know What...It which Must be Said...I'm not the creator of Harry Potter or Any related aspects and I don't own them. This is my imagination of events during the 6th Year at Hogwarts.

 **A/N:** Hello Everyone,

I'm so thankful to each and everyone of you for taking the time to read, review and following the story. I know that the chapter releases have become a bit irregular...my beta and I are working on trying to get a more consistent schedule.

This chapter has been written over the course of one of the most hectic weeks I've had in the last two months and that's saying something because December and January are the craziest months of my year. Though I really am starting to feel like I'm getting busier with every passing year or maybe age is finally catching on, who knows?

Anyways, I'm starting to ramble. I hope you enjoy this chapter and are willing to wait a little longer for things to heat up.

And to answer a question; When is this taking place and is it following the canon?

The story begins about two/three weeks into the start of the school year, so end September. As such it does follow the general storyline of HBP but there are variations and they will be noted as and when there's a conflict between the original story and the tangent that I'm picking up. Hope this answers the question sufficiently.

Without further ado,

 **Enjoy!!**

 **Plan**

Hermione heard a clock chime in the distance bringing her back to the present with each gong. She took in the scene before her, then shut her eyes. * _What was she doing? She was as close to fucking around with anyone as she'd ever get, and she was fucking around with Malfoy._ * There was no point in denying it to herself, she was enjoying his touch.

She'd always thought his hands would be cold and clammy, but no, they were soft and warm as they ran the length of her arms. She knew that her skin was tingling, that her blood was rushing and it felt good * _...it felt so bloody good...and she knew that she resisted only because it was him_ *. A primitive part of her wanted to explore these sensations, the rational part of her told her that she'd find herself as another notch on his bedpost if she pursued her rash ways. He'd enjoyed screwing with her for ages and this was probably how he wanted to mock her wantonness. She wasn't giving in but neither was she resisting him entirely. She backed away slowly, opening her eyes with each step.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she began softly but her voice grew louder with each syllable. "Are you trying to show me why Ron would rather be with her than me? That even if you touched every inch of me you'd never feel aroused by my body to do anything more than that...I know I'm no beauty...". Tears welled up in her eyes, the anger she felt at the insulting thought causing her cheeks to flush. * _She was perfectly aware of her looks...she was passably good looking... maybe if she took the effort she could look quite charming...and while puberty had filled her out with lovely curves she never drew attention to them...she wanted to be known for her mind and not her body but it was easier to get turned on by a body than a mind...she thought despondently_ *

Draco wished he could tell her how much he wanted her, that he'd felt like this for a long time, but she didn't want him. If anything she would be disgusted by his desire and maybe even his love, regardless of how true it was, Hermione would never want him because he was Draco Malfoy, she would have anyone but him, of that he was quite certain.

Nevertheless, Malfoy closed the space between them in a single stride before he grasped her hand and pulled it towards his crotch. Hermione was mortified. "What do you think you're doing?" she stuttered, licking her lips nervously. "I'm answering your question. You're a perfectly attractive girl, especially if someone like me gets turned on by you. He'd have to be an imbecile not to, but then again it is the Weasel," he said squarely, he'd expected her to pull away. "Look Granger, I'm not changing who I am or anything like that...but I've got a plan that will be good for the both of us."

Hermione raised her eyebrows but nodded for him to continue. "Weasley is in a very public affair that's disturbing you. You're a lovely hormonal teen-age girl with no ... romantic outlet. I propose that you have a secret affair with me." Hermione's mouth gaped open in disbelief. It was _outrageous_ , _preposterous_ , not to mention completely _insane_. "You don't have to tell anyone who the guy is... just say that you have someone. And once Weasley hears of it, he'll get jealous enough to try and win you back." Hermione closed her mouth, that sounded acceptable but..."Where do you feature in my imaginary boyfriend scene?"

"Who said anything about the boyfriend being imaginary? You'll need to genuinely miss your boyfriend and have the happy glow of a girl in love. I'll help you with that..." he paused when Hermione gave him that _deer in headlights_ look that clearly showed exactly where her thoughts had gone. "... I'll teach you how to **pretend**. Jeez...Granger you are a horny one, aren't you?" He laughed at the shocked look on her face. "And what's in it for you, Malfoy? I'm pretty sure that you're not just doing this as your good deed for the day." Hermione wondered what could he possibly want in exchange for linking himself with her. "You mean apart from watching Weasley squirm?" He said delightedly with an almost boyish grin. "Actually, I was hoping you'd help me with this little project I have, I'm trying to fix something and I think you're the only one who can help me." That sounded more like the Malfoy she'd known all these years. "I see...so I help you with fixing something and you help me get fixed with Ron."

Draco cringed inwardly at the thought of him helping her to get together with Weasley. Yet he was delighted at the prospect that he'd get to spend time with her and for a while he would know what could have been, if things were different. "In class and while in public, we're enemies but in private we're friends, pretending to be lovers, agreed?" "Friends...you and me...agreed." Hermione giggled at the bizarre statement.

"May I call you Hermione?" Draco asked almost too politely. "Only if I can call you Draco." Hermione conceded with a smile.

"We'll begin the real plans tomorrow. Get some rest for now. Keep an eye out for my owl, I'll let you know where and when." He quickly dipped his head, planting a swift kiss on her forehead before he mumbled

"Goodnight, Hermione." He turned to walk away and on an unknown impulse, Hermione grabbed his hand and gave him a peck on the cheek, "Goodnight Draco, see you tomorrow."

She picked up her bag and headed back to Gryffindor tower, taking care not to encounter any prefects or Flich and his cat. She stepped through the portrait and thought that the common room was empty when a pile of cushions on the floor suddenly came to life. "Blimey, Hermione...where have you been? It's way past curfew." Ron said stepping into the light with Lavender attached to his left side. He looked like he'd developed a malignant growth but she held back her comments. Lavender and she had never seen eye to eye, despite being roommates since the first year. Hermione knew that Ron was the cause for the smug look on Lavender's face. "I was working with Professor Babbling, she's arranged for an internship for me over the summer. I'm heading to bed, it's been a long day," she finished in a slightly choked voice. She'd felt suffocated when she saw Ron's arm circle Lavender's waist. She decided to make a note of things that Draco could teach her, masking her emotions was definitely at the top of the list. She'd always been too easy to read.

Hermione changed out of her clothes and noticed that they held the faintest trace of Draco's scent. The fragrance filled her head with memories of her enveloped in his arms crying, but instead of feeling upset it was strangely comforting. Draco's anger had been directed at Ron and his insensitivity. She could see how easily he'd managed to get every girl in the school to fall for him. If they hadn't shared such a nasty history, perhaps she would have been as willing to let him between her legs as any other girl. He certainly possessed qualities that most girls would desire, apart from his family's wealth and social standing, and despite the recent blow, Draco was easily one of the best looking guys in the school. He was your typical bad boy, charming and dangerous. Hermione knew that if she didn't watch herself, she could fall prey to his charm. His father was a Death Eater and Draco would probably become one in due time. Though according to Harry, Draco already was one, but Hermione had argued with Harry that Malfoy wouldn't have been able to enter the school if that were true, even though she wasn't completely certain on this point. The school's ancient magic would prevent anyone dangerous entering. Then again, Harry's intuition could give most women a run for their money. Sometimes, Hermione wondered if his scar acted like an antenna, picking up signals normal people missed.

As Hermione lay down, she realized that she was actually looking forward to meeting Draco. The day had been eventful and so much had changed in the last 24 hours that she knew that things would only get more dramatic from here on. * _She was plotting against Ron with Malfoy, surely hell was freezing over this very moment._ * It felt good to be doing something to regain control though, even if it meant joining hands with the enemy. Draco wanted her help to fix something, she wondered idly what it could be. Hermione sighed, it had been an emotionally exhausting day and she really ought to rest for whatever Draco had planned for the next day, she did have class with him tomorrow afternoon. She couldn't believe that the event's of the day had changed her perspective of the man so drastically, true she didn't totally trust him but he was something of a friend.

Hermione woke up rather earlier than usual and noticed that she was extremely aroused. Her breasts were full and her nipples were hard little peaks, poking through the thin fabric of her nightgown. She slowly slid her hand down and started to play with herself until she came.

She was quite annoyed with herself however, she'd read everything that she could get her hands on about getting herself to orgasm but she never felt truly satisfied. A sudden tapping on the window drew her attention and she cleaned herself up quickly and let the owl in. It was a magnificent bird, even by owl standards, luxurious black and grey feathers and large pitch black eyes. It's feathers were splattered with droplets from the rain and a look out the window assured Hermione that it would be another rainy day. She offered the owl some treats, which it graciously nibbled on while Hermione read the letter, before it took off. It was rather brief.

 _My Love,_ _Meet me at the Giant Oak by the Black Lake. Come as soon as you get this. Don't bother changing, just grab a jacket. We won't be out too long._

The letter wasn't signed but she had a clear idea who'd sent it. The tone and elegant scrawl were unmistakable. She really wanted to wear something a little warmer but that would take time and it was going to be awhile before she got to the lake anyway. She put on a windcheater and grabbed an umbrella before heading down the stairs and out the portrait hole. Hermione felt like she was being watched but she reasoned that she was sneaking around and it was just natural to be wary. By the time she had reached the Oak, the rain had increased significantly and the lower half of her nightgown clung wetly to her legs.

Draco saw her shiver as she reached him, he was properly dressed for the weather, but then again he hadn't been summoned straight from his bed. He'd been awake for hours, he couldn't sleep, each time he closed his eyes all he could see was her... _her eyes as she looked at him for reassurance...her hands as they played with his hair...her scent_...he was treading a path far more dangerous than he cared to admit but he wanted more. "I'm here in this lousy weather, when I should be asleep in my bed. This better be good, Malfoy." Hermione said sternly as another gust of wind made her shudder. "You should have worn a longer jacket, Hermione" Draco frowned, before adding "Here take my jacket. I'll manage with yours." Hermione unzipped her windcheater and realized that all she had on was a very flimsy nightgown. The very audible gasp that she heard found her looking at a stunned Malfoy.

"Here" he said handing her the jacket while averting his gaze. She accepted his jacket and handed him, her windcheater. It was a bit too small for him to wear, so he wrapped it around his shoulders. She looked like a child in an adult's coat, he was much taller than her and his shoulders were broad despite his lithe frame. But she was warm and that's what mattered. "Are you sure you don't want your coat? I don't want you catching cold on account of me." Hermione felt guilty watching Draco barely covered by her windcheater while his clothes gradually darkened as they got drenched. "If I catch a cold, I expect you to get me soup and read to me," Draco smirked at her. "And how am I supposed to enter your room? Is there a secret trapdoor for all the girls who want to meet you? Is that how you've managed to bed everyone?" Hermione knew that she was overstepping the line but she couldn't resist it. Draco turned to her, grabbing hold of her hand, he dragged her into the Slytherin changing area, that was over by the Quidditch pitch. As soon as they were inside, he shrugged off her windcheater and put it aside.

"I'm pretty sure that this isn't the first time you've accused me of being a Playboy. I don't care about the rumours because no matter what you say people believe what they like, but let me tell you this, I don't fuck around just for kicks. I'm not going to fuck anyone just because they're an easy lay, believe it or not I actually have morals. I'm..." _Draco paused as he realized he was about to say something a lot worse than he was a virgin. He was about to confess that he wanted to do it with her and that wouldn't go down well._ "I don't have the time or energy to go around telling everyone, that the girl who says she slept with me, actually didn't. So I have a notorious reputation, tell me something new. I never thought you'd believe them though, the rumours. I thought you were above that kind of shit." He sounded genuinely disappointed in her. Hermione felt guilty of accusing him, especially when he'd done nothing to really deserve it, he'd just been kidding about her getting him soup. She guessed it had just become a habit to be nasty to him, regardless of the circumstances. She looked up to find him looking sadly at her, and she felt a twinge of disappointment at her behaviour.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, it was extremely rude of me." Hermione apologized awkwardly. Draco's eyes narrowed as he considered her apology. He stepped in closer and tipped her chin upward his storm grey eyes boring deep into her soft honey ones. "I'll accept your apology this time. If you ever say anything remotely hinting that I can't keep it in my pants, I swear I'll make sure you're left as experienced as you think I am." There was a serious look in his eyes but Hermione didn't feel afraid of him or his promise. "Are you threatening to _force_ me? Because that's low even for you." She snapped, defiantly staring back at him. Draco chuckled, "Good Lord woman, I know you're a Gryffindor and all but you really should consider your circumstances before egging someone on. You've been spending too much time with dum-dum and dodo, and acting before thinking things through." Hermione realized it was too early in the morning for a lecture but she was curious, what was he was trying to get at. "What are you rambling on about Draco? It's far too early and I'd really like to know what we're doing here."

"You're so impatient. I'm not rambling. Look...", he said ripping open the jacket that she was wearing, _his jacket_ , "... you're dressed in this delicate material, that I can rip off you without even using my wand" he said, bunching up some fabric at her waist. "We're here all alone, no one even knows you're here. It's good that you're as brave as you are, but why would you even make me think of doing something like that, when it would be so easy." He gave an exasperated sigh and ran his hand through his hair, turning away from her. "I've got no intention of raping you or anyone else, like I said, I have morals. I'm not going to force myself on a woman no matter _how much I want her_. I want a woman who wants to fuck me as much as I want to fuck her." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, he'd been stupid to threaten her with the promise of sex, this conversation was turning into a horrible confession. * _She looked lovely in her barely there nightgown...her eyes soft with sleep and he realized that his imagination didn't do justice to her lovely figure...he was going to have to keep a leash on his emotions until this act was done... he'd surely lose his mind one way or another_ *

"I called you out here because this is a good place to meet. I wanted to suggest that we keep our meetings either late at night after dinner or early in the morning before breakfast...to avoid any unnecessary detection. In the day we can meet in the library, or any other place that seems suitable but not for long. I don't want anyone else to be able to read our notes to each other, so make sure you encrypt them. Do you have any questions?" He finished briskly in a very business like tone.

"Why didn't you just write this in your note? Why drag me all the way out here in the rain?" Hermione questioned sullenly. "Anyone could have intercepted the owl, and I wouldn't risk detection this early in the game" he stated. It's just a game to him, Hermione thought, he was just trying to score a point against Ron by using her as the pawn. She couldn't criticise him, not when she was doing the same thing, so she nodded wordlessly.

They trudged back up the slope in silence, walking back to the school as the rain came down in sheets. It was going to be one of those days, when all you wanted to do was curl up in bed with a nice book and some hot chocolate. Hermione sighed, wanting nothing more than to go back to her own warm bed. The grass was slippery and Hermione lost her footing, falling backwards. Draco was lost in thought and was taken by surprise when Hermione's hand grabbed wildly at him as she fell. He tried to hold on to her while keeping his balance but the force of her fall knocked him over and sent both of them tumbling down the hill for a distance. Draco groaned as Hermione landed on top of him in a heap. "Ouch, that hurt". Hermione winced as she tried to lift herself off of Draco. There was a loud ripping sound of fabric as she moved, which caused Hermione to widen her eyes in shock as she looked down at herself. The fabric had snagged on the zipper of the windcheater and was torn diagonally from her left shoulder all the way down to her right hip. Utterly embarrassed, she pulled herself away, wrapping the jacket tightly around her, but she was certain that he'd been able to have a good look at whatever was there to be seen. Draco's pale cheekbones were tinted a strong pink which confirmed her suspicion.

She almost fell over again as she tried to get to her feet, there was an excurciating pain in her left ankle that was causing her to lose her balance. Draco clasped her waist stabilizing her before he looked at her ankle, that was starting to turn a nasty shade of purple. He took out his wand and muttered a quick spell that had her nightgown pulling itself back together. "I'm sorry but I'm not great at healing spells and I would rather not mess with your ankle." Draco confessed sombrely. Hermione felt around her nightgown for her wand, only to realize that it was still on her bedside table. "Did you lose your wand in the fall?" Draco asked concerned, trying to see if he could spot it on the ground. "No, it's on my bedside table actually." Hermione said feeling rather foolish for not keeping her wand on her, "I really did just grab a jacket and run out of my room, I guess."

"There's nothing else to be done then," Draco said and with one arm around her waist and the other under her knees, he cradled her in his arms like a baby.

"Whatever do you think you're doing? This is not the best way to stay inconspicuous." Hermione reprimanded him. "Well, hobbling around in your very transparent nightgown with me, will definitely give people ideas, and we need to get back before the early risers." Draco said firmly when she started squirming around. Hermione knew that his words were true and being stubborn would only make things worse. "If someone sees me carrying a girl in her nightgown covered with my jacket, they'll probably think she's the one I fucked last night. I recommend that you hide your face, I'm actually pretty good with glamour charms." He stated proudly, keeping her down on her good foot while still holding onto her waist. He then waved his wand in an intricate pattern causing Hermione's hair to grow down to her waist while also making it almost straight and lightening the colour to a honey blonde. "It won't last more than 15 minutes," he warned before picking her up as he continued uphill. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face in the crook of his neck to avoid detection, as he'd suggested.

Draco couldn't believe his luck, while he was sad that she'd hurt herself, he knew that this was a rare opportunity. He held her close, feeling her heartbeat against his chest, and despite his serious expression, there was a bounce in his step as he silently made his way back to the school.

 **Note:**

Phew! Was that too long or not long enough? Sometimes I really have a tough time deciding where to end one chapter and start the next. I'm trying to keep all my chapters around the same length but some are longer than others.

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you're enjoying the story. Keep an eye out for the next chapter. Please review and share, and feel free to ask me any questions about anything that's happened so far.

 **Lots of Love...Esa.**


	7. First

**Disclaimer:** If I did own Harry Potter, I'd be J. . As it turns out I'm not J. and therefore don't own Harry Potter or any related content. I do own the right to my imagination, which is why this story is happening...isn't it?

 **A/N:** Firstly, I'm sorry about the irregular posting schedule. I'm really working on trying to be more consistent. However, my current schedule leaves me with almost no time. I'm a little like Hermione...then again aren't we all. So I'm just trying to keep everything in place as I best can. Please bear with me and my odd posting methods. I'm trying to ensure you have one new chapter each week.

Of course, I'm super thankful to all those who post public reviews, it is deeply appreciated and seriously motivates me to work on the next chapter ASAP. So please keep those reviews coming, they fuel my motivation. I'm so thankful to those who decide to PM me with their questions and doubts, I hope to answer all your questions in the upcoming chapters. Yes, I know this story is already in its 7th chapter and all they've done is little pecks. I really want the relationship to evolve, the connection is going to be very important later on.

A big humongous Thank You to my darling beta , she is such a dear for beta-ing as quick as she possibly can. I thank her enough for the enormous support she provides. She is wonderfully insightful and each chapter turns out so much better with her input.

Do let me know your thoughts, comments etc. in the review section.

 **Enjoy!**

 **First**

Draco had asked Hermione if she wanted to be taken to the hospital wing but she had turned down the idea. She had said that while Madame Pomfrey wasn't a gossip, it might strike her as very odd, having him carry her in his arms this early in the morning whilst she was still in her nightgown. Hermione was afraid that word of this could pass to McGonagall, as Madame Pomfrey and she were on extremely good terms.

Once they reached Gryffindor tower, Hermione was glad that the Fat Lady was asleep. She cleared her throat and when the Fat Lady roused with a frown, she quickly muttered the password and Draco entered the common room for the first time. Hermione heard the Fat Lady grumble about people waking her up at all hours of the day before muttering that she couldn't recall those two Gryffindors as the portrait closed behind them. Hermione wondered if the Fat Lady had noticed enough for it to be a problem or not. Once inside Draco muttered a quick charm changing his hair colour to a dark brown, his platinum blonde hair was easily one of his most identifiable features. Hermione's hair was still honey blonde from Draco's glamour charm. The Gryffindor common room was decorated in the house colours much like his own common room, but that's where the similarities ended. The Slytherin common room was elegant and sophisticated while the Gryffindor common room was warm and homely. The vibe was quite relaxed, and although Draco was loathed to admit it, he liked it. He laid Hermione carefully on a couch. "I'm so sorry that my request caused you so much trouble. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Draco stated, his voice devoid of his usual mockery. "Did you hit your head when we fell? You keep saying strange things." Hermione said honestly. "I feel like I'm talking to someone else. You're so different."

Draco smiled, "It's a good kind of different, right? Anyway, I should leave before someone comes, goodbye my love." He dipped his head to press a kiss to her forehead, much as he had the previous night.

Hermione knew that she'd fallen because they'd been outside on his request as he put it, but he didn't have to carry her all the way back to the tower. She believed in showing her appreciation, if it had been Harry or Ron, she'd have hugged them or probably a peck on the cheek, she never thought about these things just acted on her feelings. But Draco was different and Hermione wanted to show her appreciation in a way that he would understand, _she hoped_. So as he started to pull away, Hermione held onto his shoulders for support, Draco instinctively clasped her waist, pulling her closer to himself. He could feel the softness of her under the nightgown when she raised herself onto her toes, he looked confused. She looked him in the eyes and pressed her lips to his in a closed mouth kiss, it was extremely brief. He looked frozen as she pulled away saying, "Thanks for carrying me." He nodded wordlessly as he gently placed her back on the couch before turning and exiting the room.

All the way back to the Slytherin dungeon, Draco replayed the events of this morning. * _Hermione shivering in the rain...her barely-there nightgown as they swapped jackets...he'd done the gentlemanly thing and turned away...but he'd seen a lot more of her than he'd dreamed of when they'd taken that tumble down the hill…but he'd turned away yet again...he'd had the opportunity to hold her in his arms...and she had kissed him in thanks...he was getting drawn in like a moth to a flame...he was doomed to get burnt...a small voice in his head warned him that he was setting himself up for heartbreak_ *

Blaise was in the common room reading when Draco entered. "You're up awfully early" Blaise commented with a raised eyebrow. "I felt like taking a walk," Draco replied flippantly. "Without your jacket? In this weather? You don't have to tell me her name, just tell me if she's worth getting a cold." Blaise asked intrigued, pointing to a couple of long honey blonde strands that were on Draco's shirt. Draco smiled "She'd better be."

In the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was contemplating if it had been too bold of her to kiss him so directly, but she couldn't help feeling differently towards him. It was almost like Draco and Malfoy were two separate entities. Draco was caring, considerate, kind, honest and a complete gentleman, quite the antithesis of what was Malfoy. Whilst he may have altered her identity for his own safety as much as her's, nonetheless she knew that he had chosen to behave in a manner that she respected.

As she slowly and painfully hobbled into her dorm she realized that she'd left her umbrella in the Slytherin changing area, _Merlin she was becoming careless_. As she sat on her bed to heal her ankle, she was surprised to see a rather beautiful girl staring back at her from the mirror across her bed. Draco's glamour charm was impressive, even though he'd only changed her hair, it made quite the impact. As she worked on healing her ankle, she realized that she'd subconsciously trusted Draco enough to not carry her wand this morning.

* _It was a very disturbing thought when she combined it with certain other factors...like meeting him after curfew in a lonely corridor …or going down to the Quidditch pitch early in the morning in the rain and in a very transparent nightgown... allowing him to carry her back to her common room and not feeling disgusted by his touch...but perhaps the thing that struck her the most was that she had kissed him twice_ _of her own accord in_ _the last 12 hours...it was beginning to take on the makings of a relationship...and something about it was exciting_ *

Hermione kept Draco's expensive jacket hidden at the bottom of her trunk. She'd wrapped it in a spare sheet to avoid anyone accidentally seeing it when she opened her trunk. She checked her watch and decided to change rather than go back to bed. She was already focusing on Draco more than she wanted to, and she had a feeling that her dreams wouldn't help. School work, on the other hand, was her remedy for keeping unwanted thoughts at bay.

When Hermione entered the common room, she found Ron and Lavender sitting on the couch at a respectable distance, both looking a bit put out. Harry and Ginny were talking to each of them respectively. Hermione wondered if she should say something or just leave them be, she went with the latter option and walked to the opposite side of the room.

There was still another half hour to breakfast and she wanted to take a look at the transcripts that Professor Babbling had given her. She sat at the table across from them and taking out her notes she began reading. Hermione managed to interpret an entire scroll and was halfway through the second when Harry tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "We're heading downstairs for breakfast," he said pointing to the group waiting near the exit. Ron and Lavender were kissing again, clearly they didn't want to waste a minute. "Go on ahead, I'll be right with you. I've got to finish a couple more lines of this paragraph." Hermione forced a smile as she waved to them.

* _Hermione tried to rein in her disappointment...she had to accept that Ron was dating Lavender...he would kiss her, hold her, touch her...love her...and Lavender would do the same to him...she had three options before her...a)accept defeat and shut out her feelings...b)go behind Lavender's back and tell Ron she had feelings for him and ask him to break up with Lavender...c)go through with the plan that Malfoy had devised, make Ron jealous enough to break up with Lavender and pursue her instead...as underhanded as the last option appeared, it was the only one that appealed to Hermione because it allowed her to keep her pride and Draco saw it...if she really wanted it to be effective she would need to be totally involved with Malfoy...just like Ron was totally involved with Lavender...this new and improved Draco would make it easier to maintain the act...she reminded herself that while she had to totally immerse herself in the imaginary relationship...she had to ensure that she didn't really fall for Malfoy...that would be a disaster*_

Hermione did her best to remain unfazed by Ron and Lavender's affectionate displays. She told Harry and Ginny about her possible internship and they congratulated her, saying she was sure to get it. She spent the next few days focusing completely on her classes and completing her translations for Professor Babbling. She had been rather distracted ever since Ron and Lavender had begun dating and having Malfoy in the mix just added more confusion. In fact it seemed that he was avoiding her, after their dramatic morning meeting. _He always took the furthest seat from her in any classes they shared, he avoided meeting her in any corridors and despite his continued stares at her during mealtimes, he always looked away if she tried to make eye contact._ She wondered if he'd wanted to back out of their wayward plan, afterall she wouldn't blame him. They were both behaving ridiculously out of character in each others company.

It wasn't until a week later, when she was at breakfast having a conversation with Neville about the medical uses of Scarlapods vs Scarlaroot, when something happened. Two owls landed before Hermione, the first had brought her usual copy of the Daily Prophet, but the second owl was one that she had seen earlier that week. Her eyes immediately darted towards the smirking teen seated at the Slytherin table. Hermione relieved the owls of their burdens and they flew away after nibbling at the sausage she'd offered them. Hermione felt anxious about opening the letter Draco had sent her, but she couldn't just stare at it. Neville was looking at her a bit confused by her behaviour at receiving a letter. She realized that procrastination wasn't going to help things, so she gathered her courage and ripped open the letter, there was only two words written there.

 _ **Kiss me.**_

Hermione stared at the note in disbelief, did Draco expect her to walk up to him and make out with him at breakfast, _he probably didn't think it was too much to ask_. She risked another glance across the hall at him and he rolled his eyes at her, looking pointedly at the note. She frowned but decided to give it a go, and kissed the note. When she looked at it new lines appeared in the familiar scrawl.

 _ **Swap prefect duties with Weasley for today. I'll see you at McGonagall's office.**_

 _ **Kiss the letter when you're done reading it.**_

Hermione kissed the note and it instantly transformed into a bouquet of flowers. Neville stared in awe at the transformation. "That's amazing Hermione, how did you do it?" Hermione understood that the kiss was the catalyst for the change, it was a pretty amazing piece of magic. Ginny and Harry, along with the rest of the Gryffindor table had also noticed the bouquet in her hand. "Aren't those lavender?" someone at the table asked. Upon hearing her name Lavender walked up to Hermione, she looked at the bouquet in her hand before turning to glare at Hermione. "My Won-won got me flowers and you stole them" Lavender shrieked. Before Hermione could react to the accusation, Lavender snatched the bouquet from her with a smug look on her face, like she'd managed to bag a Noble prize. People were milling around getting ready to leave for class but had paused to take in the scene. Hermione wondered if she should explain things or just let Lavender take the flowers.

She picked up her bag and began to walk away when a banshee shriek stopped her in her tracks. Lavender came running at her, throwing the bouquet at Hermione, which she caught while still confused about what was going on, first she'd snatched the bouquet and now she was hurling it at her. But the confusion didn't last for long as Lavender held up her hands close to Hermione's face, making her back away. "You cursed my flowers...you jealous bitch" she yelled. Hermione saw large purplish green boils erupting all over Lavender's hands.

"Don't worry I'll take good care of Ron, he'll forget all about you before long." Lavender whispered spitefully to Hermione, before she shoved her aside knocking her into someone. "Jeez Granger, stop swooning. It's just flowers" said the voice of the person who had stopped her from landing on her butt. Hermione scowled at the cold grey eyes staring at her, "I was knocked over, not swooning Malfoy. My only regret is that you were the one to break my fall." Hermione lashed out.

"Oh, let me fix that for you then." He smiled coldly, letting her fall to the floor with a soft thump. She glared at him as she stood up, dusting her robes. Harry, Ginny and Ron walked up to her. Hermione rounded on Ron before either Harry or Ginny could say a word. "Tell your stupid girlfriend to stay away from me. I'm not sure what her problem is, but if she insults me again, it may be the last thing she ever does." Ron looked helplessly at Harry before saying "She thought those flowers were for her, it's just a misunderstanding Hermione." Hermione shook her head muttering "Un-freaking-believable" as she stalked out of the Great Hall.

The rest of the day passed by quietly, as Hermione avoided any interaction with anyone that she deemed unnecessary. By the time dinner took place however, the events of that morning had been rehashed to resemble a soap opera. She actually found the stories quite amusing. She knew that she was too straightforward and lacked creativity sometimes, she was all fact and hard truths. She'd been terrible in art class while at Muggle school, it was the only class she failed to get anything above a C minus.

She had shrunk the bouquet down to a more convenient size and kept it in her bag. She had found a small note tied to the bouquet whilst she was shrinking it 'For you alone, my love' stated the elegant scrawl. She'd have to ask Draco not to put curses on notes.

Hermione ate her dinner rather quickly and without much interaction with the others. They supposed that she didn't want to talk about the morning's debacle. Harry and Ginny had learned from Neville that it was Hermione who had received the flowers but he couldn't say from who. They wanted to ask her about it, but decided to wait until she was in a better mood before inquiring. Ron kept trying to catch Hermione's eye throughout dinner and finally he walked up to her. "Hi... I'm really sorry about Lav's behaviour this morning, it was just a misunderstanding." He said awkwardly, it sounded like he had rehearsed it all day. "I really need a favour though. Hermione, can you please take my patrolling duty for today?" He looked at her pleadingly.

Hermione was glad that he'd asked her, otherwise she'd have to lie to convince him that she wanted to patrol with Malfoy. "You look perfectly fine to me. Why do you want me to take on your duties?" she asked looking for signs of illness or injury. "Umm... Well, I think today is gonna be special...Lav wants me to go with her to the Astronomy Tower. I don't want to break the flow by rushing off for prefect duties. Please I'd seriously owe you one for it." Ron beseeched her. Hermione swallowed the lump of pain that had lodged itself in her throat at the thought of things moving beyond kissing between the pair. "Ooooh. Hoping you're gonna get lucky, eh?" Hermione grinned too brightly. "So you'll do it." Ron confirmed. "You're the best Hermione, just tell McGonagall I ate too much or something." He added when she nodded, before giving her a quick hug. Harry and Ginny stared at Hermione incredulously.

"What are you doing Hermione?" Ginny demanded as they walked up to the common room together. "I'm being his friend." Hermione justified. She felt horrible at the thought of things progressing between Ron and Lavender, but knew that it was the next logical step.

* _She felt so angry and she had no way to vent it. She was angry with herself for not saying anything before this had happened...then she was angry at Ron for being too stupid to see that she had feelings for him...she was angry that Lavender had been so aggressive towards her and yet Ron didn't expect Lavender to apologize to Hermione herself...she was angry that things would probably go much further tonight because she had swapped duties with Ron so that she could meet Draco...tonight would be Draco's fault...unless he would help her stop it...she smiled as a devious thought popped in her head_ *

Hermione decided to finish her homework before heading for prefect duties. Harry joined her while Ginny sat with her friends at another table. Ron and Lavender were missing. Halfway through their potions homework, Harry asked in a casual tone,"Hmmm... Hermione, who sent you those flowers this morning?" Hermione had been expecting that question all day. She noticed that the entire common room was watching her with bated breath, silently awaiting her answer despite the fact that Harry hadn't been very loud. "A secret admirer. There was no note accompanying the flowers." Hermione answered trying to look genuinely disappointed that she didn't have the answer. There was a unanimous sigh before everyone resumed their activities. Harry turned to Hermione concerned,"Are you sure that it's safe not to report it? I mean the reaction that Lavender had was quite terrible." Hermione's eyes narrowed at his words,"I'm sure that I'm in no danger, I've not even got an itch from the flowers. Lavender touched something that wasn't her's and paid the price. Everyone seems very concerned about Lavender's plight but no one seems very concerned about the way she behaved." She knew that Harry was worried about the danger of the unknown sender but he'd touched a nerve with the reaction that Lavender had sustained. Some idiots had the audacity to tell her to apologize to Lavender, she had just thrown them scathing looks that had sent them scurrying."You know I wasn't condoning her behaviour, I'm worried about who this stranger is...if he's willing to curse someone for touching flowers...he's dangerous. But you're the smartest witch ever so you already know that don't you." Harry finished knowingly. Hermione was left speechless, she couldn't deny his observations, Malfoy was certainly dangerous but not to her, not yet at least. Hermione looked at Harry regretting her harshness,"I'm so sorry for lashing out at you, Harry. I don't know what's going on with me lately, everything brings out an extreme reaction. I know that you're worried but until we know who this person is, all we can do is keep an eye out for these things and hope they don't mean any serious harm. It may have not been intended to be as nasty as it turned out. I'll be careful, I promise." She finished with a smile, she could never be angry at Harry. Sure he was stubborn and reckless but his heart was always in the right place. She had admired his willingness to put himself in harm's way to save anyone. She was determined to help him defeat _Moldy Voldy_ in her own capacity when the time came. She got up and hugged Harry before she left to keep her things in her dorm.

At 8pm Hermione headed for Professor McGonagall's office and knocked on the door before stepping in. She explained that Ron had overeaten at dinner and was feeling ill. McGonagall wasn't pleased with his behaviour but said nothing of it as Malfoy entered the room. "Granger?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes Mr. Malfoy, you'll be patrolling the hallways on the sixth and seventh floor with Ms. Granger. You'll also have to check the Astronomy Tower as Mr. Flinch is certain students are sneaking up there but he has trouble catching up with them due to his bad leg." Professor McGonagall informed them before continuing with the mandatory speech. Hermione couldn't believe her luck, she had thought about suggesting that they patrol the Astronomy Tower and delay any progress between Ron and Lavender but McGonagall had just made things so much simpler. She was almost skipping in delight as she left McGonagall's office.

Draco watched her for a few minutes before asking "What has got you so excited?". "Would you believe me if I said I'm happy to see you?" Hermione asked sincerely. Draco's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained an impassive mask as he replied "No, somehow I don't think that's the reason."

"And how absolutely right you are." Hermione laughed walking ahead of Draco as they headed to the 6th floor. She missed the disappointment that flashed briefly in his eyes. They passed Terry Boot a Hufflepuff prefect on the fifth floor. Hermione had a brief word with him while Draco admired a tapestry to his right.

"You really should try to get along with the other prefects, next year two of the prefects will become heads. It's good to share a polite relationship with everyone." Hermione continued to ramble on about the duties and responsibilities that came with being a perfect and potential head of school. Draco wasn't paying much attention to her words after the first few lines, he knew that this was his last year at school regardless of the outcome of his mission.

"Hermione..." Draco interrupted her. She turned to face him, looking at him expectantly, her eyes bright and a smile on her face, _she really loves rules_ , he thought. Draco desperately wanted to tell her everything that had happened, that was happening and what was about to happen. "You are an insufferable know-it-all" was all he said with a warm smile that contradicted his nasty words, before he kissed her forehead and continued patrolling. He knew that regardless of their past, she wouldn't let him suffer alone, the Gryffindor in her would want to rescue him and that thought made him realize that he needed to proceed without dragging her into his mess. Hermione stared at him in puzzlement for a moment, his actions were completely unpredictable. She decided she'd just go with the flow, there was no need to get stressed over Malfoy's eccentricities.

When they finished patrolling the sixth floor, Hermione opened the door to an empty classroom and motioned Draco to join her. "Okay, I did what you asked, now what did you want to talk about?" she cut to the chase without any preamble. "Well I thought that before we begin weaving our tale, we need to have a reality check." Draco stated mysteriously. "Reality check... what kind of reality check?" Hermione asked, plopping herself onto a desk, her feet swinging a foot off the ground. Draco leaned besides her casually. "To put it bluntly, how far have you gone? Our act will be caught if you can't make it look convincing. Weasley is busy getting his experience and while you don't have to write a 5000 word essay on it, it's awfully easy to spot a fake, if you know the real deal," he stated in a business like voice.

"Hmmm... you're so professional about this." She mused while recalling all her romantic experiences. Draco raised an eyebrow at this observation. "Oh I didn't mean it in a bad way... I just meant that you've really thought this through," she blushed realising that at some level she did think he had too much sexual experience, but hadn't he revealed only a week ago that most of the rumours weren't true?

"Well, the first guy I dated was Viktor Krum. We didn't go beyond kissing and basic making out. I was only 14, and I know that there are others who've done a lot more at that age but I didn't. Last year I went on a couple of dates with Adam Zeller from Ravenclaw. He's very interesting to talk to but there wasn't any chemistry, so we just went back to being friends. There were a few other guys who I went out with but nothing came of it. So to summarize my very short dating experience, I've done nothing beyond kissing." Hermione conceded, feeling a bit depressed, she really didn't have any experience at all in the world of romance. Draco stood in front of Hermione as she observed her shoes, he cupped her face with one hand, gently raising her eyes to meet his.

* _She closed her eyes not wanting him to see her pain in them. The next moment she felt his lips pressed against hers, soft and smooth, they coaxed her lips open as his tongue explored further meanwhile his hands appeared to be all over her...in her hair...on her waist...her back...arms...Hermione was tempted to open her eyes to see exactly how he was moving...she imagined Draco with multiple arms grasping at her from different directions and the disturbing image caused her to yelp...breaking the kiss_ *

Draco looked guiltily at Hermione, his grey eyes clouded with lust. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to show you that there's nothing to be ashamed of if all you've done is kiss. It's the beginning of everything and it can be so much more than it's given credit. I didn't mean to offend you." Draco explained, his voice huskier than usual.

"Oh, I see. Well I've been a little shy about these matters but I guess books can only tell you so much. Besides you're the closest any guy has ever gotten to seeing me naked." Hermione said rather mischievously. Draco looked up surprised, only to be further surprised when Hermione cupped his face and kissed him fully on the mouth, pulling him closer to herself.

* _She wasn't completely sure what thought process had prompted her to go head on and kiss Malfoy...but she figured that if practical experience was what she was lacking then she may as well get a move on...if she ignored his foul-mouthed, arrogant ways...she could appreciate his charm and physical appeal...and as superficial as it was, sexual experience didn't require her to feel anything more than attraction for him...and she'd discovered on the first night that they'd met, that as perplexing as it had been there was an attraction between them...besides she was getting quite a kick out of being absurdly out of character to her usual self...no one would ever know about this...Malfoy would never tarnish his name by claiming any association with her and she had no reason to say anything about it for probably the same reason_ *

Hermione had never been the initiator of a kiss before, but she soon realized that she liked being in control. She combed her hands through his hair as she pulled him closer to herself. She parted her legs so he was standing in the space between them before she wrapped her legs around him. One of his arms snaked around her waist while the other rested on the desk supporting his weight. She nibbled on his lower lip before licking his lips, feeling delirious. There was a sharp intake of breath before Draco began returning the kiss with equal zeal. The hand at her waist lifted her sweater before pulling her tucked in shirt from the skirt. Hermione's eyes snapped open when she realized that Draco's hand was on the clasp of her bra. She quickly pulled away, almost shoving him in her haste to put distance between them.

He stood before her, the lust in his grey eyes turning a darker shade, as it gave way to anger. He couldn't believe that she found him so repugnant when moments ago she had been holding onto him like her life depended on it. She looked gorgeous with her messy curls framing her flushed face and slightly parted lips as she took deep breaths to calm herself. Hermione soon saw that he wasn't the only one making quick work of their clothing, it appeared that she had begun things as well. His tie was undone and she had apparently ripped apart his shirt at some point during their interaction. She vaguely recalled running her fingers down his bare back.

"I think we should resume patrolling the corridors. Let's finish up with the seventh floor before we head to the Astronomy Tower. Then we can take another round of the sixth and seventh floors before we call it a night." Hermione said trying to keep her voice as emotionless as possible while putting her clothes in place. Draco's face hardened at Hermione's nonchalance, he'd speak to her about it later. He mentally agreed that they ought to resume their duties. He fixed his shirt and straightened up his appearance before turning to her and saying "After you, my love."

 **Note:** So...

How was it? Like, love, or hate? I'm dying from anticipation...Please say something...anything...I really need your help now my dear dear readers...I've never written anything like this, so feedback(reassurance) is highly needed. Have a cookie of your choice for every review/comment.

Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter ready soon.

 **Lots of Love...Esa**


	8. Tower

**Disclaimer:** I'm doing this because I don't have enough money if lawyers decide to sue me. Why don't I have money? you ask...well the answer is I'm not J.K. Rowling...I hope to be someday but I'm not there just yet...If I could steal Draco I would, I mean who wouldn't but as it stands...I don't own anything of the Harry Potter world...none of it...not Harry...Not Ron...Not Hermione...No Draco...hell I don't even own a Flobberworm...did I spell it right? I don't know...

 **A/N: For all those who wrote to me, Thank you so much.**

 **Firstly** , apologies for the lack of an update all of last week and so late into this week. I was terribly ill for the past two weeks and couldn't do anything until I'd finished certain other urgent school assignments. Also, I'd planned to do this update earlier but it's **my birthday** and my lovely family decided to surprise me. So I had to wait for the opportunity to access my computer.

 **Secondly** , A HUGE THANK YOU AND LOVE YOU to all those who wrote to me via PM or in the reviews. Your support means so much and knowing that so many of you are waiting for me to update the next chapter is so motivating, words fail me.

 **Thirdly** , Everyone please send love to my beta, in your reviews, **MrsHaloona ,** She is wonderful and really I couldn't have asked for someone better to beta my work. She totally gets my perspective. So send her some love too.

I hope I'm forgiven and you all still love me and look forward to my updates. I had a couple of questions due to my unexplained disappearance for the last 10 days or so. So I'm going to answer any questions that won't reveal the plot just yet. Be patient believe me you'll want to know how and why these things happen.

 **Q1)** Are you going to leave the story incomplete?

No, Absolutely not. I'm working on each chapter as I go but I'd already prepared the basic framework for the story before my first chapter was published. I'd be far ahead if I didn't have work and a master's degree to complete along with this...I'm quite like Hermione...How I wish I had a Time Turner...*Gazes at fake time turner...willing it to work*

 **Q2)** How many chapters are there?

As of now, I have the rough draft for about 30 chapters totally. This may increase as I develop the story further.

 **Q3)** Do I read all my reviews? This was sent via PM.

Yes, I read each and every review. Sometimes more than once. I try and reply to all reviews as well. If I've missed your's by some chance I'm truly sorry but I'll respond to the next one. So please keep the reviews coming.

 **Q4)** Do I have any other fictional works published?

Not as of now. If you read my earlier notes, I've mentioned that I'm new to Fanfiction and writing it. However, I really enjoyed reading a lot of it and decided to take a shot at it. So far I'm really happy with the response and I hope to get lots more feedback and reviews.

 **Q5)** Do I plan on writing other fan-fics?

Yes, I certainly do. The response has been really amazing and I'm so happy that people enjoy the story and look forward to it. It makes my day and motivates me to write while I'm on the train, during break etc.

In fact, I've got another idea for a fan-fic...another **Dramoine** one...but I'm still debating about whether I should make it a **Oneshot** or Not. I'm going to run the idea via my beta once I've completed the outline.

 **Without Further Ado...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Tower**

Hermione's face was burning with embarrassment as she and Malfoy silently patrolled the seventh floor, each of them preoccupied with their own thoughts. She didn't regret kissing Malfoy, she was perfectly aware of what she was doing. If anything she regretted her rejection of him, not that she wanted things to progress beyond a kiss between them, but she knew that she'd handled it poorly. She could have easily put some distance between them and asked that they leave it there. No, instead she'd shoved him away like he was forcing himself on her. It was especially wrong because she'd done a lot more to him than he had to her. She'd noticed the scratches on his chest and she was certain there were a few on his back too. He probably thought she was such a hypocrite, she had practically vandalized him but he wasn't even allowed to touch her. Hermione decided that she would explain her behaviour once she'd calmed down and overcome her embarrassment.

This line of thought led to a new discovery Hermione realized that she was uncomfortable with the idea of Malfoy being upset with her; this newfound friendship was weighing heavy on her already. Sighing repeatedly, as quietly as she could, Hermione concluded that the moment she'd agreed to become friends with Malfoy, she'd felt responsible for adhering to her code of friendship, regardless of whether Malfoy treated her as a friend or not. But this friendship was twisted by prejudice, contempt, revenge, pride, self-righteousness, desire, and a plethora of emotions that they shared. They were born on opposite sides of the fence and she was walking the path less travelled _._

 _Would she regret her decision to make Malfoy an ally in her scheme to win Ron? Would Harry resent her for it? She hadn't really considered how her friends would react to it?Should she call it quits right now and let the cards fall where they may?_ **No...** Absolutely not. She had been patient and cautious all along. She wasn't going to wait on the sidelines anymore. It's not like she was cheating on Ron, they were friends and she wasn't doing anything to directly ruin his relationship with Lavender. She was just trying to make him realize that he actually saw her as more than a friend but was taking her for granted. She had to agree to one aspect though, she was using Malfoy, he had agreed to let her use him for his own amusement but she was using him nonetheless. A twinge of guilt stabbed at her conscience, as she squeezed her eyes shut to block the thought from her mind.

"Should we head to the Astronomy Tower now?" Draco asked in a bored voice but it didn't come off quite right. Hermione's eyes snapped open and she looked at her watch before she nodded.

The stairs to the tower were fairly tight wound and felt never-ending. Hermione always felt like a pilgrim by the time she'd reach the top of the tower. It was an exhausting walk, to say the least, why didn't they have some type of escalator when they had magic? She would have to ask McGonagall about it sometime. Just before she entered the observatory situated at the very top of the tower she paused and waited for Malfoy. He looked a bit out of breath as he turned the bend and found her fidgeting hardly daring to glance his way. He'd always found it cute, lending her an air of innocence. "What's going on, Granger?" Draco asked leaning against the wall, a smirk playing about his lips.

Hermione sighed before saying in a defeated voice "Ron and Lavender are probably making out up here. I don't want to walk in on them"

"So are you telling me that we just say everything is fine and then leave after making me climb these godforsaken stairs." Draco hissed. "No, that's not what I meant. Actually, I was hoping you'd check. If they're there would you mind stopping them and sending them back?" She asked sweetly. "So you want Weasel to hate me for ruining date night instead of you?" Draco asked with amusement. Hermione looked guiltily up at him as she nodded vigorously with a mischievous grin. "You have so much Slytherin potential, I'm beginning to feel the Sorting Hat was sorely mistaken in putting you in Gryffindor." Draco smirked before adding on a more serious note, "What's in it for me darling?" Hermione's scowl at his earlier comment dissolved into confusion momentarily before she realized he wanted something in exchange for bearing Ron's wrath. "You'll get to watch Ron squirm? Is there something else you'd rather have, my love?" Hermione asked considering any other possible offers. Hermione noticed that Draco used endearments to emphasize his sarcastic comments and in a way remind her of their deal. Using endearments was not Hermione's style, but she decided to try to implement his strategy.

"Having him squirm is on the house babe. I want a favour from you, not today. I'll tell you when I need it, and you will do as I say no questions asked. Agreed?" Draco stated in that business tone of his, he noted her use of an endearment and he knew she was just trying to play his game but it felt nice. Hermione knew he was being absolutely serious and expected her to make a commitment. Giving her word to Malfoy, promising to do as he asked without question was a steep price, so she amended it. "I agree to your condition in so far as it doesn't cause harm physical, emotional or mental to me or my friends. Okay?" "Deal" Draco grinned, holding out his hand for her to shake.

Hermione looked rather confused by this gesture. "Isn't this how Muggles seal the deal?" He asked equally confused. "Yes, that's how it's done, but why...how do you know it?" She had a lot of questions but decided that these questions could wait for another day, so she merely shook his hand.

Draco stepped out into the windy night as Hermione went down a flight of stairs and began climbing as slowly as possible. Just as she was about to reach the top, she was almost knocked over by a hurtling Lavender whose dishevelled hair partially covered her half unbuttoned shirt. She was followed by a furious Ron whose hair and face were an identical shade of red. Spotting Hermione, he turned on her with narrowed eyes "Looks like Lavender's right, you're just jealous that I have someone and no one will have you. You're going to wind up as a frustrated old librarian with cobwebs between her legs. A bookworm with no imagination..." He lashed out at her, regardless of who had found them. He blamed her like he always did. It didn't matter who had been patrolling the Astronomy Tower, he'd still blame her for getting caught. She always got the short end of the stick, despite being a far more selfless friend.

"Enjoy your night with Malfoy. He's up for fucking anything in a skirt, I'm sure he'll do you if you promise not to tell anyone, wouldn't want to tarnish his reputation." Ron sneered at her before he continued down the stairs.

Hermione collapsed on the topmost step where she'd been standing leaning against the wall. She could feel tears pricking at her closed eyelids as the shock of his words washed over her. She tried to hold it in, but she had to face the fact that everything he'd said had been true at some level. Sure, it hurt that he'd lashed out at her but the truth of those statements went deeper. Ron had voiced her worst fears, that Lavender was better than her, that she'd be left alone with no one to love her, that Malfoy would only do her if she promised not to say anything, she hadn't even realized that she feared that last thought. She never expected Ron to be so hurtful, not to her. She realized she was crying in front of Malfoy yet again. Hermione opened her eyes to find him sitting beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She rested her head against his chest and sighed as a fresh wave of tears poured down her face. "He said it in anger, I'm sure he doesn't mean anything by it" Draco tried to reassure her but his voice was hollow almost devoid of any emotion.

"Everything he said was true, except the part about you agreeing to fuck me. I don't think you'd do that even if I never told a soul," She laughed a mirthless laugh.

"Hmmm...honestly I'd never imagined having a halfway decent conversation with you..so.," Draco stated in a somber tone.

"I guess it is strange enough that we're something like friends. The Wizarding World would spontaneously combust if we went so far as to have sex with each other." Hermione laughed suddenly, the thought of everyone's shocked expressions at making such a discovery was certainly an amusing one.

At least she'd stopped crying, he thought, feeling mildly relieved. He'd never been trained to handle emotions, only conceal them. After a few minutes of silence and sighs, Hermione pulled herself away from Draco, wiping her face on her sleeve. Draco shook his head rolling his eyes in disgust, pulling out his handkerchief and dampening it using a spell to turn water vapour into water. He handed it to her before walking down the steps.

As she wiped her face, Hermione couldn't escape the complicated reality that was fast becoming her life. They finished their patrolling duties with no other incidents. Hermione sighed in relief as their night drew to an end, she really wanted to crawl into bed and forget everything.

"I'm sorry for earlier," Hermione said without warning. Draco who had been somewhat preoccupied with his own thoughts started at her voice. " Sorry... whatever for?" He asked looking genuinely confused.

Hermione realized that she wasn't sure how to phrase it. "Earlier, when we were in the classroom, I shoved you away like you'd done something wrong." She explained, this was as embarrassing as the incident itself, she thought.

"Hermione, I was just living in the moment, don't fret. It was a good kiss that could have led to more. If you don't want it, that's totally fine. Though do warn me how far you want to go next time." He requested coolly as though the entire matter hadn't affected him at all.

"You have to teach me that, say you will, please promise me you will." Hermione badgered him. Malfoy raised an eyebrow in question to her unknown request. "Teach me to be calm in the face of chaos. To not reveal all my emotions as they move around." She explained excitedly.

"It's not challenging, it just requires... practice. We can practice it when we meet next." He smirked at her childlike ways. "Brilliant!" Hermione beamed. Malfoy understood her need to conceal her emotions, she'd oscillated between so many states in the span of a few hours. It looked positively exhausting.

"I might not be able to meet you for a few days though. I'll let you know when we can meet next." He said emotionlessly, before taking something out of his pocket and handing it to her. She held out her palm not sure what to expect. She looked at the miniature umbrella, her umbrella, before quickly pocketing it. "Thanks, oh dear, I didn't get your jacket. I'll get it to you when we..." Hermione was cut short by the finger on her lips and the serious look on Draco's face. "Keep it...that windcheater of yours can't protect you." He smiled down at her, an unusually kind light in his grey eyes before he bent his head to place a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, my love." He murmured softly against her hair. When she pulled away, she noticed the bluish shadows beneath his eyes and the anguish in his eyes puzzled her. She blinked and it was gone. _Had she imagined it perhaps?_ She raised herself on her toes and pecked his cheek. "Goodnight Draco."

She was about to turn away when Draco held her hands in his and raised them to his lips to brush her knuckles against them. "Promise me you'll wait for me," he asked in a choked voice, his eyes distant. She nodded, totally clueless to what he was referring to at the moment. He smiled then, relaxing his tense shoulders, looking more peaceful, before turning around and walking down towards the dungeons.

Hermione walked back to Gryffindor tower, feeling very confused about her interactions with Draco. They were getting more surreal with each meeting. It was like they entered an alternate universe when it was just them. Draco was kind, considerate, chivalrous...human. He didn't behave like the demon spawn she'd known since the first moment she'd met him. Something wasn't quite right and regardless of her disturbed state, Hermione was determined to get to the bottom of it. Malfoy wouldn't make it easy, she knew that he'd not let her in easily. So far he seemed to let his walls down only when she was vulnerable. Hermione liked having a goal, she would find out what was going on with Malfoy, she thought with a determined smile.

Draco entered the Slytherin common room and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, shivering. He wasn't cold from the wind but from the fear that had been coursing through him since he'd received a letter. Earlier that evening just before he could make his way to McGonagall's office, he'd received a letter from his father.

 _Draco,_

 _I hope that you're making timely progress on your assignment. I will be highly displeased if you should fail. As a Malfoy, you cannot fail, you know your place in the world. However, should your performance be less than satisfactory, suitable punishment shall be provided._

 _We will see you soon for a full report on the matter. Do not disappoint me._

 _L.M._

Draco stared at the letter reading it yet again. He'd crumpled it up and shoved it in his pocket as he stormed out of the dungeons. If anyone read the letter, it would appear that his father was overbearing and ridiculously concerned with schoolwork, but the underlying meaning of the words wasn't lost on Draco. While his father certainly wanted him to beat Granger at school, the assignment was beyond the scope of the syllabus. Draco pulled up his left sleeve to his elbow, muttering _'glamourous revelio'_. He stared as his pure white skin shifted, revealing the Dark Mark. It soiled his otherwise unblemished skin, he felt like it polluted him with its presence. He thought back to the evening when his father had declared that the Dark Lord had decided to bestow the great honour of including Draco in his ranks. Draco had nearly gagged, he wanted to quit keeping up his pretenses and say a flat outright no. He didn't care if his father disowned him, he wasn't interested in being a murderer which was a key responsibility under the title of Death Eater. He'd destroyed enough of his life in the name of being a Malfoy, he wasn't going to destroy his soul too.

He hadn't accounted for his mother though, she had pleaded with him. He couldn't refuse her anything, she was certain that they would kill him for his disobedience and she couldn't bear the thought of losing her only son. She promised that she'd find a way to help him but he had to keep up the act at least for now. So, he'd let them brand him like he was some mindless bovine. He was informed that his actual initiation would be held at a later time, that they didn't have the required supplies. He didn't have the courage nor the desire to ask what were the said supplies.

The Dark Lord had assigned Draco the simple task of killing the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. Draco had thought it was a joke when he was informed of the task. Surely the Dark Lord wasn't stupid enough to think that he, a sixth-year student, could challenge one of the greatest wizards of all time and come out alive. However, it seemed that the Dark Lord wasn't particularly interested whether Draco came out alive or not. Draco couldn't believe that his proud father was so blinded by this psychotic egomaniac that he was willing to sacrifice his only son.

He'd hid the disgusting mark on his arm; he looked at it each night to remind himself that it wasn't a nightmare. The time he spent with Granger, that was the dream, this was his harsh reality that would destroy the dream. He feared her reaction when she eventually found out that he was a Death Eater, the disgust, revulsion, and rejection that her eyes would hold. The thought pained him, but he knew that he deserved her hatred nothing but it. This pretend relationship was the closest thing to love he'd ever have with her and he was happy with it. At least she looked at him with something beyond contempt. She had said that they were friends of sorts. He hated everything that Weasel had said to Hermione and the way he treated her but he knew that without the lousy Weasel, he would never have had the opportunity to be with her. He made his way to bed thinking about his kiss with Hermione in the classroom. In that moment, he'd felt her want him for himself. He focused on that thought, allowing it to calm him until sleep claimed him.

 **Note: Did you read the A/N?**

Go on Give me Reviews...It's my birthday...It's the least you can do...Besides chocolate of your choice to everyone who reviews and a Firebolt... Ok...maybe I'm getting carried away...But you can't blame a girl for trying...I do hope you enjoyed it though.

 **So please just leave a word, a thought, a smiley...Anything**

 **Love...Esa.**


	9. Backlash

**Disclaimer:** I'm sure that you now know that I'm not J. K. Rowling. If I were well then you'd have to buy the book. This is free to read so if you're paying for it, someone is scamming you, my friend.

 **A/N:** I'd hoped to have this chapter published sooner but my internet was hosting a non-cooperation movement and therefore refused to oblige. Ethical reasons, I believe.

Nonetheless, I do hope that this chapter is enjoyable. This chapter is the calm before the storm of sorts and there will be storms on and off throughout this tale, at least that's the way I see the story. In fact, I had to split this chapter into two part as it was almost 10k words and there was just too much going on for one chapter, so...

As always thanks to all my readers, reviewers, and secret admirers. **THANK YOU** for all the birthday wishes, I really appreciate it. Lots of love to my darling Beta...really rely so much on her input and feedback. I certainly plan to upload the next chapter as quickly as possible but it's Easter week and that means I'm going to be jammed for time not to forget I have got assignments to submit. If it's a bit delayed, I apologize in advance. I hope that you will still love me. Draco sends hugs to everyone.

 **As always...Enjoy!**

Love... **Esa**

 **Backlash**

Hermione changed into her favourite nightgown, a soft baby pink one that had little kittens on it, with each cute kitten in its own pose. She absentmindedly waved her wand and muttered a spell under her breath, and the ring of kittens on the lap of her nightgown began moving and playing with each other while the surrounding kittens held their frozen stance. She loved watching them, they were the realization of her childhood fantasies. She was often left to her own devices as a child, both her parents were successful dental practitioners with their own clinic, so being an only child she was accustomed to it. When she was very young she'd play games with imaginary friends, some of which were animal friends. Eventually though, she'd outgrown her own little fantasies and explored many other imaginings through books. They had become her world, each book a door to a different universe and a new adventure.

Hogwarts was her dream turned into reality; magic, adventure, friends and so much more. When she'd received her letter of acceptance, she'd been perplexed partly by the owl who had delivered it and partly by the contents of the letter itself. The owl had held a bored expression which belied his expectation that this would be a fun delivery. Muggles were always disbelieving at the beginning and their reactions could go anywhere from amusement to excitement to outrage. Her own parents had taken the news with mild surprise and raised eyebrows, but they had allowed her to proceed after she'd insisted on learning magic instead of continuing to pursue her current course at the nearby Muggle school. Her parents had thought that she could always go back there and continue after a year's break since she was already two years ahead due to double promotions.

Hermione smiled as the memory of her first night at Hogwarts flashed before her mind. She had wanted everything to be perfect, she knew that there was a whole world of information that she had been oblivious to but she wasn't about to let that stand in the way of living her dream. She finally had the chance to live what she had only read about thus far. She waved her wand and the kittens froze into their original positions.

Her face took on a somber expression as she gazed out at the night sky. It was a clear and windy night and there was a definite chill in the air but Hermione didn't care as she opened the window and sat there gazing at the stars, swallowing the lump in her throat. Real life was far more painful than anything in a book. Books didn't focus on the pain, well not all and most of the time words failed to express the true agony and anguish that life can bring, the words mean nothing until you've felt the pain. She had been so convinced that like every fairytale, her prince would be there ready to rescue her from the wicked witch... wicked wizard considering Voldemort was a man. Instead, she'd found her prince with another woman... like the little mermaid. Love really was a bitch.

 _But did she really love Ron?_ She wondered as a breeze ruffled her hair. She had to be honest with herself, she wasn't as disturbed as she thought she'd be considering the state she'd seen Ron and Lavender in. She didn't need to have a great imagination, to sum up what had been happening before Draco walked in on them. In fact, the primary reason she'd asked Draco to stop them was that she'd thought she'd have a breakdown at the sight of the couple in the midst of a makeout session. Hermione plucked her cd player from her bedside table, hitting play as she placed the headphones on her head.

Hermione closed her eyes, she felt like she was in a mental Draco maze, her every thought seemed to automatically lead to him. She stopped her mind from recalling her kiss with Draco, she had just gone ahead mindlessly, stupid really, how could she learn anything if she wasn't going to focus on the task at hand, it was just a lesson after all. She was starting to wonder if she was becoming obsessed with him or that the stress of things was making her slowly lose her mind. She had to admit the latter was a far more likely possibility than the former. Taking a deep breath, Hermione began listing out her stressors, she liked making lists and organising her thoughts, it had an oddly calming effect and made her feel productive. She'd been acting too much on impulse lately. Ever since she'd seen Ron and Lavender kiss, something in her had come undone. A wry smile formed on her lips as she recognized the song as _Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics,_ the lyrics were ridiculously apt to her situation. She was both using and abusing while being used and abused... sweet Merlin... how had she turned into...into...this? She was deteriorating into the worst imaginable version of herself. She had gone from being the know-it-all, by the rules, proud Gryffindor to a clueless, rule-breaking, making out with the hot Slytherin type of girl. _Out of character_ didn't even begin summing up her recent behaviour, not that anyone had noticed, not according to her anyway.

Silent tears ran down her cheeks and she held her knees to her chest as her body shook with silent sobs. Her dorm mates were sound asleep thankfully, she wasn't in the mood to have to explain what was wrong even if could find the words to describe her feelings. She knew that things had changed tonight, she'd probably forgive Ron in the future but right now she hurt too much. His words had been a well-targeted attack, undermining her in the only area her brilliant mind hadn't come into play. She cried until her tears dissolved all her pain, leaving her with a cold emptiness and a sweet indifference.

Hermione went and stood before the mirror, firm in the knowledge that she was perfectly capable of doing what Draco had suggested. He was the perfect twisted bastard she needed for her plan, she thought cynically. _Really? a small voice in her head questioned her... can you really call him anything quite so terrible?_ She knew that she was being unfair to him, he was much more than met the eye. She'd seen kindness in him; he'd been kind to her when he could have mocked her. _Why hadn't he been mean to her? What was going on in his mind?_ She could never fathom the thoughts or feelings behind the mask. Hermione smiled as a thought struck her, she took out a piece of parchment and began writing.

-o0o-

Hermione smiled as she wrapped her arms around Draco, her lips reaching up to meet his lips yet again. He was about to kiss her when his father suddenly appeared behind her. "You disappoint me, son. _Avada Kedavra._ " Lucius hissed pointing his wand directly at Hermione. The green light hit her before Draco could react. She instantly crumbled in his arms, her eyes gazing but unseeing, her lips still glistening from their last kiss. "Dare defy me and I won't hesitate to punish you. Now dispose of that trash you picked up." Lucius said turning away from Draco. Draco stared at Hermione's lifeless body for an infinite moment before the tears began to pour down his face.

Draco woke up to find his face wet with tears. His first reaction was to go straight to Gryffindor tower and check on Hermione, but he quickly resisted the urge. If she wasn't at breakfast, then he could go into an all-out panic mode. He decided to head to the prefect's bath since he didn't feel keen on going back to sleep and continuing his nightmare.

The sky was overcast as Hermione exited the owlery and cautiously made her way back to the castle. She felt cold and numb by the wind as the rain came down in torrents. Hermione returned to the common room as it was simply too early for breakfast. She sat before the fireplace for all of five minutes before heading to her room and exiting the common room with a towel and shower caddy in hand as she made her way to the prefect's bath.

Hermione really appreciated the peace and privacy that the prefects bathroom offered her. She decided a nice hot shower would help relax the tension in her muscles, besides she really wanted to wash her hair with the new hairwash combo her mom had sent her. She let the water work it's magic before slathering her hair with the new shampoo, it certainly smelled divine she thought with a smile. She was humming a random tune that was playing in her head, _baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight...I don't need no money...as long as I can feel the beat...I don't need no money...as long as I keep dancing... baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight...I don't need no money...as long as I can feel the beat...I don't need no money...as long as I keep dancing...la lalalala laaa la...la lalalala laaa la..._

Draco turned around ready to head back to his dorm, the sound of running water declaring that someone had already occupied the prefects' bathroom. It was an overly spacious room allowing plenty of privacy but Draco hadn't wanted any intrusion, but that was until he'd heard her sing. He locked the door in case anyone else decided to join them and a quick check around the bath assured Draco that he and Hermione were the only occupants. The bath filled with Draco's favourite combination within minutes and he settled in feeling considerably better than when he'd awoken. Partly due to the relaxing aromas of the bath and the rest due to Hermione's happy singing. Clearly, she had gotten over yesterday's incident. She was an absurdly happy person in Draco's opinion. Draco was musing over a variety of thoughts concerning Hermione as she walked out of the shower and headed to the counter she'd placed her clothes on, she had been about to drop her towel before dressing up when Draco cleared his throat loudly. Hermione whipped around, a small yelp escaping her as she saw someone in the bath.

"Draco, good grief...you startled me." Hermione laughed in relief. "You really need to pay attention to your surroundings, Hermione, this is the second time you haven't noticed that someone was in the bathroom with you. What if a Death Eater was lurking around the corner?" Draco drawled, smirk firmly in place. Hermione's cheeks flushed at his comment, he was right it was careless of her to not be wary. Fake Mad-Eye had always droned on about _constant vigilance_ , had they heeded his words perhaps Cedric would have still been around.

"No need to get so depressed over it, darling. I'm just playing with you." Draco said, beckoning her to come closer. Hermione was well aware that she was naked beneath her towel and she was quite certain Draco was in a similar situation. She was about to back off and go change elsewhere when Draco continued, "If you don't join me, then I'll come join you." She squinted at him, wondering if he was all talk and no show, so to speak. She was fairly certain he was when much to her dismay he rested his palms on the edge of the bath and was about to hoist himself out. When Hermione screamed, "Wait...wait I'm coming." She scuttled to the edge of the bath and glared down at him before asking him to turn away so that she could sit on the edge with her feet in the water.

"C'mon...join me." Draco coaxed her with a very charming smile. "No way. One tiny kiss and you think you have me. I'm not that easy baby" Hermione laughed. Draco was amused, the words flirtatious and Hermione had never made it in a sentence together before now. She probably had a lot of great comebacks that were absolutely wasted on the Dodo-Duo. Harry had a brain about him when he wanted to but Ron was too dumb to survive without her... he'd have probably never made it through a class let alone an entire year without the other two.

"So, what was that song you were singing earlier?" Draco asked recalling her happy voice. "Cheap Thrills..." Hermione said simply as she gently moved her feet creating ripples before adding, "... it's a Muggle song... but I really like those lines they're so happy..." Hermione lapsed into silence as she wandered in the caverns of her mind. She was surprised to find Draco standing between her feet as they continued to move, he was looking at her, observing her.

He caught her ankles before stepping between her knees. Hermione's eyes grew wide in panic. Surely Draco didn't plan on fucking her, here and now on the floor of the bath. She watched as his fingers brushed her legs from ankles to her thighs, stopping at the edge of her towel. Her breath was quick and shallow, her mind was torn between the desire to push him away and pull him closer. Draco tipped her chin upwards and placed his lips softly against hers, brushing them with a soft kiss before beginning to kiss her more ardently. Hermione didn't resist his advances, it was just a kiss after all and she knew how they worked. Her arms crept around his neck her fingers playing with his slick wet hair, she didn't realize she was pulling him closer until her thighs instinctively tightened around his hips, ready to pull him further in. Hermione snapped out of the trance, backing away as quickly as possible and almost undoing her towel. She grabbed her things and ran to the other end of the bath, leaving without so much as a backward glance.

Draco hadn't intended to let things get so out of control. If Hermione hadn't pulled away he was sure they would have done it, he had almost no self-control around her, at least not when she encouraged him to take things further. He groaned as he recalled the way she'd spread her legs, pulling him closer, a little closer and they would have been lost. Draco swore in his frustration, this wouldn't do at all. Yes, he wanted her but only if she wanted it too. Clearly, her reaction displayed her revulsion to the idea, she seemed repulsed by her behaviour.

-o0o-

Hermione took the long way to get back to the common room, her mind kept repeating the scene in the bathroom. Last night's kiss was a peck on the cheek compared to what had happened this morning. She needed him for her plan to succeed, but she had to avoid getting too physically close to him. There was something about him that made her want to act on her primitive desire to further her species. Clearly, Draco Malfoy had killer pheromones, ones that even she couldn't resist. It explained why most of the girls would drop their pants for him if he so much as looked at them. She had too, Hermione acknowledged begrudgingly as she blushed at the memory. She couldn't believe how easy it was to let him touch her, she'd always felt her body resist a boy's touch in the past. She had been certain that her body would break out in hives at Malfoy's touch, but each encounter seemed to make it appear that her body longed for his touch, it was a very disturbing thought. Craving Draco Malfoy was a phrase that should never have been a part of her thoughts, along with kissing Draco Malfoy, touching Draco Malfoy and being touched by Draco Malfoy. She just needed some space, yes, she was in a disturbed and stressful place. Once she calmed down, she'd realize that she was just displacing her desires for Ron onto Draco, perhaps subconsciously due to Ron's suggestion last night. Of course, her distraught mind had acted on the crazy suggestion. _But he had kissed her._ That small voice in her head wouldn't give her a moment's peace.

She shoved all her thoughts to the back of her mind and firmly ignored the stirrings in her lower abdomen at the memory of what had happened and almost happened in the prefects' bathroom. The common room was quite full on her return and she hurried into her dorm to keep her shower caddy and grab her bag. Her hair was still wet and she dried it with her usual spell. She was pleasantly surprised to see that her hair fell in rather sleek curls instead of the bushy mess they usually made. On a sudden impulse, she fetched one of the hairpins Ginny had given her last Christmas. It had tiny blue butterflies that sat on silver flowers, it was enchanted so the butterflies would hover around the wearer's head every so often. Hermione casually pulled back a section of hair and pinned it to the side. She was pleased with the results as she headed down to breakfast. Hermione failed to notice the many appreciative glances that were thrown her way, as she made her way to the Gryffindor table and sat beside Neville, who looked rather dumbstruck as Hermione began talking to him. He got over her initial appearance in a minute, Ron, on the other hand couldn't tear his eyes away from Hermione, and kept looking at her in disbelief, much to Lavender's annoyance. He didn't miss all the glances coming her way either.

Draco had looked up at her entrance, quickly discovering that he wasn't the only male audience to Hermione's arrival. She looked lovely as always but she'd done something different to her hair and it really worked for her. She would easily have dates all year round if she kept this up. _Would she ask someone else to help her with her plan instead of him?_ Draco was struck by this worrying thought. He didn't like the idea of anyone else helping her get together with Weasel boy. He knew how close she let someone get when her guard was down. The thought of someone else touching her, kissing her made his blood boil. He watched Ron looking at her in disbelief, he knew that one day somewhere in the future, he'd have helped her get what she wanted and he'd have to be ok with Weasely touching her. He was trapped; if he refused to help her, he'd lose his only opportunity to be near her yet if he helped her he'd lose her to Weasely. Draco buried his face in his hands, he hadn't paid any attention to Dianne's chatter about her latest shopping spree. The leggy blonde flicked her hair over her shoulder attracting the attention of quite a few boys before she asked:" Are you ok Dre?" Dianne had heard that things were over between Pansy and Draco, and if she was ever going to find the perfect husband, Draco Malfoy fit the bill to the letter. Rich, powerful, pure blood and good looking to boot. Especially, if the rumours were to be believed that he was a total animal in bed, but she would like to have her information based on personal experience. "I'm fine, Di... just have a bit of a headache," Draco muttered exasperatedly, _and you're not helping_ he thought to himself as she continued with her mindless chatter.

Hermione resolutely avoided looking in either Ron's or Draco's direction. She wasn't going to go easy on Ron after his rude behaviour and she needed to avoid Draco's gaze that made her lose her grip on reality. She just needed to steer clear of him for a few days and then she'd go back to hating him like he deserved and he would probably return to his scathing comments too. All would be right with the world. She still hadn't said anything to Harry and Ginny about the things that had happened, she really didn't know where to begin and they were throwing her confused glances. Explaining Draco's involvement proved to be difficult until she saw McGonagall pass by and the perfect explanation presented itself.

Ginny and Harry made their way over to Hermione's side of the table once they had finished eating and sat on either side. "Hi!" Hermione said brightly. "Hi...", the couple replied warily, a look passing between them. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked concerned.

"Well...Ron sort of told us that you were plotting with Malfoy against him and Lavender." Harry stated uncomfortably. Hermione's jaw dropped in shock, how had Ron figured it out? She looked sharply straight across to the silvery blonde at the Slytherin table, he looked harassed and something akin to concern sprung to life in her but she ignored it, returning her attention to Harry who was squirming in his seat. She looked coldly at Harry before answering in a levelled voice," And pray tell, how did he reach this inspired conclusion?" Harry looked like he'd like nothing better than to escape Hermione's steady gaze and this uncomfortable conversation. Ginny spared him the discomfort by replying "Ron explained that he had asked you to cover for him on prefect duties yesterday and had told you about his plan with Lavender. But you plotted against him with Malfoy and went to inspect the Astronomy Tower even though it is not part of patrol duty. He said that Malfoy found him and Lavender in a compromising position and said that he ought to knock off points for Gryffindor but he was going to let it slide with just detention for the two of them if they cleared out instantly. Ron said that he met you on the stairs and that you hadn't bothered to stop Malfoy because _obviously,_ you were plotting with him. He said that he told you off for being a snitch."

Hermione felt oddly emotionless about the accusation yet her tone seemed to grow colder with each word "Well that sounds like a really good story, except for a couple of details. The first one being that McGonagall was evidently in on this plan, as it was on her instructions that we inspected the Astronomy Tower. The second, if I had tried to stop Malfoy I'd have to explain why I was directly disobeying McGonagall's orders and the consequences would have been far worse. The third and perhaps most glossed over detail is that Ron didn't tell me off for being a snitch. If I recall his words correctly I believe he said _that_ _Lavender was right, I'm apparently jealous that he has someone and no one will have me... that I was going to wind up as a frustrated old librarian with cobwebs between her legs... before suggesting that Malfoy would fuck me if I promised not to say anything to anyone._ Regardless of the facts what did you two want to ask me about it?"

Ginny and Harry stared at Hermione, rather stunned by her frigid attitude. "We just couldn't believe that you'd plot against Ron and certainly not with Malfoy. Ron's such an idiot, I'm going to bring him over to apologize right away." Harry said with a half-smile as he stood up. "No." Hermione fixed Harry with a firm look that held him in place. "No? But Hermione, why not? You can just tell him what happened like you told us and everything will be fine." Harry pleaded looking at Ginny for support, but Ginny shook her head at Harry when she saw the set determination in Hermione's eyes. The look that said she'd die before she relented as she focused on her bacon and toast. Unfortunately, Harry missed that look and pushed further, "I'm sure he'll forgive you once he realizes that you didn't get him caught on purpose..." His voice trailed off when Hermione stood up and turned her furious glare onto Harry as she answered in a dangerously low voice "I'm certain that the _Great King Weasley,_ in his generosity will forgive me for my transgressions. However, I'm afraid that consorting with Malfoy has made me a little less forgiving and rather unapologetic. So, I'm not going to be explaining myself to anyone anymore. You can choose to believe everything and anything you choose. If you want the truth you're welcome to ask. But I'm not walking around handing out apologies to every dickhead."

"Hermione..." Harry began as Ginny dragged him away from a fuming Hermione. Hermione resumed eating her breakfast with a vengeance, chewing the bacon while grinding her teeth. Draco couldn't hear the conversation that was taking place at the Gryffindor table but judging by the scene he figured it probably had something to do with the previous night's events. Particularly, when Hermione threw a glance his way before she went back to talking with Potter and his Weasley. Clearly, it hadn't ended well going by Hermione's expression and the fact that Ginny was now dragging Potter away with a firm grip on his arm. Meanwhile, Ron who had his arm around Lavender squinted at Malfoy who was busy observing Hermione. Ron knew that Hermione might be mad right now but once she calmed down she'd see his side of things. He certainly felt guilty for the horrible taunts he'd thrown at her in a fit of anger. He'd meant to insult Malfoy but he'd hurt her far more in the process. He'd wanted to apologize first thing in the morning but Lavender had coaxed him out of it. He supposed Lav had a point, Hermione should be apologizing for getting them caught. She could have avoided it if she'd wanted to as Lav had pointed out, his only mistake had been that he had reacted in anger. Ron didn't feel too comfortable with the way things were, but Lavender had made him promise that he wouldn't apologize unless Hermione apologized first. He didn't want to break his promise with his girlfriend, he'd been brought up to be loyal, but he felt confused about whether his loyalty lay more with his girlfriend or one of his best friends. He simply couldn't decide so he didn't decide.

Hermione had almost forgotten her own plan and was about to leave for class when the owl post arrived. This morning had been far too eventful and the day had barely begun, Hermione sighed. It was going to be a long and tiresome day, what with being annoyed with Ron and avoiding Malfoy as much as possible, Hermione already couldn't wait for her day to end. She considered going back to her dorm and skipping the rest of the day but she didn't want Ron or Malfoy to think that they had frightened her away, so she stayed put as she took the letter the owl held out for her. Hermione smiled as she read the letter she had written mere hours ago. It was actually a poem, professing admiration and affection as most love poems do. In fact, it wasn't a unique piece of literature in Hermione's honest opinion, it was rather mediocre at best, but it had been right there and the better poems were too intense, too intimate. She had altered the handwriting using a disguising spell so that it would appear that the sender was someone else.

She had thought of using Draco's lovely scrawl but she knew his writing was too easily discernable. She pretended to read the note with a small smile while watching the reactions of those around her. Harry was throwing her worried looks and muttering something to Ginny who looked equally concerned. Hermione planned to apologize to Harry for her snappy mood, after all, he was just trying to sort things out and she had been...unnecessarily rude and hurtful. Her gaze moved to Ron who was trying to see if he could identify the sender while sitting about five seats down to Hermione's left, she would have laughed out loud, if she wasn't so annoyed at him. Then her gaze finally moved to Draco, he looked puzzled and far more confused than either Harry or Ron. She folded the note and put it safely in her left pocket before heading to the dungeons for her potions class with Slytherin.

Draco saw Hermione reading her letter with a small demure smile like she had a very exciting secret. He hadn't sent her anything, so obviously, someone else had sent it. Weasely still looked upset with her, so it was highly improbable that he'd sent it besides he was making quite the effort to peer at the note himself. Draco was struck by a horrible thought, someone else had confessed their feelings to her. It certainly would explain her coy smile and why she was glancing around the room. Perhaps the sender hadn't revealed their identity in the letter. He briefly thought that he could say that he was the sender but he'd need to know the contents of the letter before saying something. Draco was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost didn't realize that it was time for the first class of his day, Potions.

 **Note:** So let me know what you think will happen next? The person with best guess gets a box of Bertie Botts and five chocolate frogs.

REVIEW please...let me know how you like the story or what doesn't work.

 **Love...Esa.**


	10. Tristeza

**A/N:** The title of this chapter 'Tristeza' is the Galician word for 'sorrow'. Galician is an Indo-European language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch. It is spoken by some 2.4 million people, mainly in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is official along with Spanish.

I get bored of writing titles in English alone. I liked the sound of this word the ambiguity of it.

Do you think it works for this chapter? Let me know in your reviews and comments. As always I look forward to them. It's encouraging, endearing, and certainly validates that all the hard work is noticed. I appreciate all genuine feedback, whether positive or negative.

This chapter took awhile because there was major reworking on my part which resulted in me rewriting the entire chapter. I'm quite satisfied with it but I may just edit bits and pieces later. As always love to my dear beta without whom you would have thought I'd gone half mad with an idea starting in one direction and going completely wayward thereafter eg: **_Voldemort wasn't as industrial in Draco as his father expected._** If you happen to notice any absurd statements please bring them to my notice via comments or PM. Please share the entire line so that I know where to look for it.

Many thanks... **Esa.**

 **Enjoy!Chapter 10!**

 **Tristeza**

Hermione took her place next to Harry, muttering an apology under her breath as she quickly unpacked her potions supplies. Harry gave her a stern glare before breaking into a smile. He knew that Hermione hadn't been mad at him and was glad that she realized that he had just been concerned about her. He was about to ask her about the letter when Professor Slughorn entered the class and announced that they were to pair up with their love antidote partner. Harry picked up his supplies as he hadn't unpacked them and with a sigh headed towards Parkinson's table, he turned and gave Hermione a small sympathetic smile. Hermione didn't understand the significance of the smile until Malfoy strode across to join her, his smirk firmly in place and a haughty look in his eyes. Hermione sighed inwardly as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye; so much for her plan to avoid Malfoy. He caught her eye as he glanced at her and his expression softened for a fraction of a second before turning cold and indifferent. Hermione turned to stare at him but it had vanished as quickly as it had appeared and she wasn't certain whether she'd imagined it.

Draco was glad that Professor Slughorn had once again paired him with Hermione. After the way she'd fled from the bathroom, he was certain that she'd avoid him at all costs and he was hoping to get a look at that letter. He smiled at her evident discomfort caused by his presence, however, he felt quite apprehensive about the class, considering the last time they were paired together he'd said a lot of things that ought never to have been said at all. Hermione was staring at him but he focused his gaze on the Professor, who began talking once the students had settled down.

Professor Slughorn beamed at the class "Today's potion is rather useful in certain emergency situations. Almost all spells have counter-spells, similarly, most potions have antidotes or counter-potions that will undo the effects of a potion. However, there are certain types of poisonous potions and spells that have no direct countermeasure. In the medieval times, certain dark wizards and witches used these spells and potions to eliminate those who opposed them. Muggle fairy tales such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are examples of such magic. The countermeasure is unconventional, a kiss. But not any kiss will break the dark magic, that's why it has to be a true love's kiss. However, finding true love is easier said than done. It is for precisely this reason that Edward Stirring concocted the True Love potion in the 17th century. Begin preparing your potion, you'll find the ingredient list and method on the board. Once all the potions are successfully prepared we'll begin administering them."

Hermione and Draco exchanged worried looks before they began preparing their potions. Hermione knew from the look on Draco's face that he was as aware as she was of how the potion needed to be administered. Hermione regretted not skipping class, if she wasn't present then Malfoy would be kissing someone else by the end of the class. There was no escaping her fate which appeared to be inexorably linked to Malfoy. She sighed, staring at her potion as it changed to a bright glowing pink before it went to a periwinkle blue. Malfoy was done with his potion and was watching her intently. She felt self-conscious under his unwavering gaze but turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"So, who's the new admirer?" Draco asked casually. Hermione wondered if she should explain her plan but ultimately decided against it. "What are you talking about?" Hermione asked innocently.

Draco's eyes narrowed to slits as he leaned in close and whispered: "That innocent act won't work on me, my love." Hermione felt her body flush as his warm breath fanned her face and neck. She was so preoccupied with Draco's nearness that she failed to notice Ron watching them over his shoulder. Draco wrapped his arm around her waist and reached into the left pocket of her robe where he'd seen her place the letter. Hermione stood frozen as Draco pulled out the note and began reading it. It was a mediocre piece of poetry written in a hand he didn't recognize. He folded it and returned it to her pocket looking unimpressed. "What?" Hermione asked in annoyance, he looked so bored by the letter, it irked her. "Why you seem to love mediocrity, I'll never understand" Draco answered coolly. "Could you be any vaguer with your flippant comments?" Hermione asked with mock sweetness.

Draco sighed, rolling his eyes skyward before he turned to face her. He couldn't possibly explain his comment without giving away his feelings for her. But he couldn't exactly back away from it now that he had voiced his thoughts. He also noticed how Ron was watching them, so he went in a different direction. "Actually, I think I understand your love for mediocrity. After all, you're a mudblood, mediocrity is so high above your standards, isn't it?" Draco drawled, his smirk deepening as her eyes widened in shock. Hermione couldn't believe that he'd just called her a mudblood, but she was glad that he had, it made her realize that he was no different than what he'd always been. This was the real Malfoy, everything else was just an illusion. She bit back the retort that was on her tongue and opted to shrug noncommittally. Draco looked annoyed with her lack of response. Hermione smiled as that was precisely what she wanted.

Professor Slughorn had been observing the students as they finished their potions. He began handing out apples to each pair. He explained that the apples were poisoned and a single bite would render them unconscious. Hence a single apple would suffice between each pair, besides poisoned apples were extremely tedious to prepare. The victim was to take a bite and after they collapse, the rescuer would take a sip of the True Love potion and bestow a kiss on the victim before the victim's lips turn blue.

Each pair proceeded to conduct their experiment with much apprehension. Most of them were mistrusting of each other but knowing that it was a class, one of each pair cautiously took a bite hoping it wasn't their last. Hermione stared at the apple, it was beautiful and perfect on the outside and poisonous on the inside. She took a bite and her eyes watched Draco as she lost consciousness.

Draco was the same wasn't he, her mind mused, beautiful and perfect yet he would destroy her if she took a bite. Just like the apple, he appeared delightfully tempting, assuring her nothing but sweetness but that sweetness was the betrayal. She was wandering through a heavy mist and couldn't recall what she was searching for, the further she ventured the thicker the fog grew. Someone whispered her name somewhere far above or behind her, she couldn't be certain. She ran ahead, she could see someone or something in the distance. She frowned as she turned a corner and could clearly see two figures in the corridor kissing. As she approached them she realized that one was Draco but the girl was unknown. He turned and looked at her with loathing before he smirked and said, "Did you think I felt something other than disgust for you? You are really pathetic. Weasel is right you know, there's nothing in you that any man would find appealing. You're a filthy mudblood, I'd never soil myself with the likes of you."

Hermione stared as they ignored her and began kissing each other again. She couldn't understand where she was but it was a nightmare. She turned on her heel and ran away, she kept running until she reached the Quidditch pitch, she tried to call out for her friends but no-one appeared to be around. She walked around until she found a shirtless Malfoy with another girl who was topless as well. Malfoy scowled at Hermione with disgust, "Don't you have anything better to do? I'm busy and I don't have time for a muddy know-it-all... but I'm sure someone will do you if you offer yourself as shamelessly as you did for me." He said before his cruel laughter cut through her and rang in her ears.

Hermione ran until she could run no more, why did Draco's words stab at her heart? She knew that she meant nothing to him, hadn't he made it clear as day over the years that she was a worthless piece of scum to him. Just because he took pity on her didn't mean he thought any differently, at best she was equal to an injured animal for him. He had some sympathy but nothing more than that and that thought hurt her. She had hoped that they'd become closer to being friends, that maybe she'd wanted more than just friendship, her thoughts on the new Malfoy were still undecided. She knew that the nice Draco was certainly appealing, with his mischievous grin and knowing glances, perhaps she had found him more appealing than she cared to admit. She looked up into a mirror, tears running down her face. Malfoy stood behind her, just as he had the first time he'd found her in the prefect's bath. But instead of a perplexed look, he stared at her coldly " You're a nuisance." He smiled, cocking his head to one side as he pointed his wand at her and Hermione knew what was coming, she wanted it to come. She didn't know when she'd begun to care but his rejection was more than she could handle. Perhaps Malfoy was right, she _was_ undeserving of anyone's love and affection, nothing more than a nuisance. No one would miss her; her death would be no great loss. She closed her eyes as a bright light flashed.

In the Potions class, all hell had broken loose. Draco was trying to keep his distance from Ron's punches while trying to get near Hermione who lay collapsed on the floor. After Hermione had taken her bite from the apple and before Draco could take the potion, Weasley had turned around declaring that Malfoy couldn't administer the potion as he hated Granger and that would immediately kill her. Where he had procured this information from was anyone's guess. Draco tried to explain that the purpose of the potion was to temporarily delude the rescuer into a sense of true love that was potent enough to break the spell. However, Ron had refused to listen to the explanation and knocked over Draco's cauldron with his furious arm waving, drenching Draco in the potion. Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors were busy laughing at Draco who stood drenched in his potion, ignoring the fact that Hermione's soft pink lips were gradually turning pale. Draco had been struck by panic and he'd rushed over to her cauldron to take some of that potion while carefully sidestepping around an unconscious Hermione. However, Lavender was quick to tip over that cauldron as well and started to dance gleefully as Hermione's lips turned blue.

Panic and bile rose in Draco's throat as his love grew paler with every passing second. He wanted to scream at the people who called themselves her friends. Instead, he simply called out to the Professor stating that he accidentally knocked over the cauldrons and that Hermione was fading. Professor Slughorn looked on disbelievingly before saying "Oh dear! That was extremely careless of you Mr. Malfoy. I'm afraid Ms. Granger is in mortal peril now. The potion will no longer be effective. She'll be in a death-like slumber until she is kissed by her true love. Does she have a boyfriend?" Everyone listened on in horror. Harry had seen the chaos that had been taking place at Hermione and Draco's table but he had been busy administrating the potion to Pansy, who didn't quite let go once she'd regained consciousness. Harry was glad Ginny wasn't in the same class considering he had to pry himself free of Pansy's embrace.

Harry rushed over and glared at Ron who now looked extremely guilty when he realized the true extent of the situation, Lavender, however, looked on unapologetically. She entwined her hands with Ron's before saying snidely "Professor Slughorn, I'm not sure if Hermione really has a boyfriend, but someone sends her letters and flowers at breakfast. Along with nasty curses if anyone else touches them. Some people think she sends them to herself but there's no evidence."

Harry threw Lavender a silencing glare but added worriedly "We don't know who it is Professor. Is there no other alternative?". "I'm afraid not Mr. Potter. I'd never thought that a sixth-year class would fail to administer a perfectly prepared potion. Certainly, wouldn't have thought it of Mr. Malfoy or Ms. Granger, they are extremely competent students." Professor Slughorn added disappointedly.

Hermione was taken to the hospital wing and Professor Dumbledore was informed of The Potions Incident, as it came to be known. Letters of the incident were sent out to the Grangers and the Malfoys. Lucius requested to collect Draco the same evening, asking that he be allowed to stay home for a few days to recover from the traumatic events. Draco wasn't keen on leaving, not with Hermione in her comatose condition and her unreliable friends left to care for her but his father had been granted permission and he knew better than to openly defy his father. He decided to do something that was completely out of character and he knew that it might strike Potter as suspicious, but he had to warn him, for Hermione's sake.

Draco stared at the piece of blank parchment as if it held the answers to the universe. He wondered how he should address his letter without making it too suspicious or too revealing. He didn't have time to ponder, his father would be arriving any moment. He decided to go with the blunt, in your face approach.

 _Potter,_

 _I have something to tell you about this morning's potions class. I didn't knock over the cauldrons, I'm certain that_ _ **none**_ _of the other Gryffindors would have supported me had I spoken the truth at that time. If Weasley has any shred of decency perhaps he'll tell you the truth. However, it's not him that I'm concerned about. I'm writing because_ _Hermione_ _Granger might be in great danger. While Weasley accidentally knocked over my cauldron or so it seemed, Brown did knock Grangers' on purpose. She was rather unconcerned as well when Professor Slughorn explained that Hermione was beyond the help of the potion._

 _I would have told you this in person but I'm going away for a few days. Please watch out for Granger. I know that you must find this extremely odd but please just ask the others what happened in the class, I hope someone will tell you the truth. This matter must stay between us, speak nothing of this letter to anyone._

 _DM_.

Draco couldn't believe that he was writing to Potter but he knew that Potter was definitely a better bet than Weasley. Draco saw the owl take flight before he left his dorm room and went to meet his father in the Headmaster's office. He didn't know what exactly was in-store for him once he went home but he was certain that some form of punishment was due for the incompetency he had displayed. Hopefully, his injuries wouldn't be too severe but knowing Lucius, Draco was prepared to endure whatever was thrown at him; he had packed vials of healing potion and blood replenishers.

-o0o-

Harry was flummoxed, to say the least. Malfoy writing to him was about as likely as Snape giving Harry a birthday gift. Yet it appeared that the world was indeed on its head, especially considering the contents of the letter. Harry had read it about five times, despite his initial reaction to throw it into the fire. There was no deception that he could detect, Malfoy denied knocking over the cauldron, not that changed anything. But he'd asked Harry to watch out for Hermione with regard to Lavender. Harry didn't want to believe that a Gryffindor would do something like that but as he tried to remember that morning's events he had to admit that Malfoy was right, Lavender was extremely indifferent to the situation and Ron certainly looked guilty. Ron hadn't blamed Malfoy once which was definitely not like him.

After dinner, Harry asked Ron to help him sort out his trunk. Ron wasn't always the brightest candle in the room but he knew it was more than just a trunk of stuff that Harry wanted to sort out. Lavender didn't like to be left out of anything but she'd have to understand that some things were just between friends. Ron found Harry sitting on his bed looking out the window, his trunk lay open yet untouched.

"So, let's get things sorted," Ron stated as Harry turned to face him. "What happened in the Potions class, Ron? And please tell me the truth." Harry looked tired and stressed, much like he had after Sirius's death. Ron looked at his feet and took a deep breath before facing Harry. He swallowed the lump of fear in his throat "I had been watching Hermione and Malfoy all through class. I couldn't hear everything they said but he called her a mudblood again. When the potion was done, I told Malfoy that he shouldn't give it to her as it was a true love's kiss and he hates her, so it would probably kill her. I don't know when Hermione bit into the apple but I noticed that she was unconscious on the floor when I accidentally knocked over Malfoy's cauldron. Malfoy went to take some potion from Hermione's cauldron but...but he managed to spill that one too. I'd never hurt Hermione on purpose no matter how mad I am, you know that right?" Ron finished looking at a point over Harry's head.

Ron knew that he, along with Lavender was responsible for Hermione's current condition. In his opinion, he believed that after all they had suffered at Malfoy's hand over the years, he didn't give a damn if Malfoy took the fall for his girlfriend's indiscretion. Harry had known Ron for long enough and well enough to know that Ron's ears went pink when he was lying about something or embarrassed. He had seen the colour gradually take over his ears and while he was certain that some of it was from embarrassment but there was a hint of a lie in that story. However, Harry decided that he didn't want to fight with Ron, not while Hermione was stuck between the living and the dead. After a long while, Harry sighed "I wish there was something we could do to help her, other than wait for her true love to show up that is"

"Hermione will be fine. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will figure it out." Ron tried to reassure Harry. "Unless he's her true love, I'm not sure how he's going to do anything." Harry countered Ron with a wry smile. Ron gave an involuntary shudder. Professor Dumbledore was like a grandfather, imagining Hermione with him was very disturbing, about as disturbing as imagining her with Malfoy. It was simply unnatural. Ron looked at Harry in disgust "Don't ever say that again, I'm going to have nightmares now. Hermione would be horrified that you spoke of Professor Dumbledore like... well like that, I suppose." The boys sat in silence for a while before mumbling goodnight and going to bed.

-o0o-

Harry and Ginny went to the hospital wing after breakfast the following morning. Hermione looked peacefully asleep but was unnaturally still. Her skin looked like porcelain, with only a delicate blush along with the steady rise and fall of her chest indicating that she was alive. "We have to find Hermione's secret admirer..." Ginny declared to Harry. He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off continuing,"... I know that he could be dangerous... with the cursed flowers and all... yet doesn't it seem like he'd be willing to take the risk for her. I mean it makes sense why you'd have to truly love someone to want to risk your life for them. Besides her condition will rapidly deteriorate after 72 hours, we simply have to find him."

"But how are we going to know who this person is? We can't subject an unconscious Hermione to be kissed by every boy in the school. Only the person who really loves her will be able to absorb the poison from her and he'll have to suffer the effects of the poison himself, which as Professor Slughorn mentioned wasn't exactly pleasant." Harry was concerned how long Hermione would be stuck in limbo. If only they could find a clue as to who the secret admirer was, it would simplify things.

They had tried to unlock Hermione's trunk; however, she didn't seem to trust her dorm mates and had put an extremely complex locking charm, not forgetting to add several hexes. It made Harry all the more suspicious about what was hidden in there. Hermione had been behaving oddly for a while now, she had become more moody, snappy, sarcastic, and now apparently secretive. Harry had voiced these concerns to Ron and Ginny. Ron was certain that Hermione was jealous because both he and Harry had girlfriends and she was the third wheel. Ginny didn't say anything to Ron, but she knew that Hermione was disturbed by Ron and Lavender's relationship, Harry knew that was a possibility too but couldn't figure out where the admirer fitted in the scheme of things. He wondered if what Lavender had said held any truth, that there was no secret admirer and Hermione had fabricated the whole thing. He dismissed the idea immediately, he knew how spiteful Lavender could be and how threatened she was by Hermione's mere presence. It had been 24 hours since the incident, they were running out of time and there was no solution in sight.

-o0o-

Draco had been allowed a night's rest but the following morning he was summoned early to the garden. In the midst of the lovely manicured lawns and flowers was a congregation of Death Eaters having an early tea. The image was as sinister as it was ridiculous. Draco had a nasty suspicion that he was about to be part of this morning's entertainment segment. As he approached the table his face turned into an impenetrable mask, hiding his doubt and fear. Lucius greeted Draco so warmly that it sent shivers down Draco's spine but his expression remained stoic. Lucius proudly declared to the table that Draco had put Potter's mudblood into a coma by making a complete idiot of himself. Lucius then turned to Draco "While I'm pleased that you managed to get away with this act with no more than a detention, you must remember to never bring shame to the Malfoy name my son. This should ensure that you remember it in the future."

Draco set his tea down and stood before his father mentally prepared for the torture that followed. The pain coursed through his veins, it felt like he had fire instead of blood. His body screamed as every inch of him was set ablaze with the cruciatus curse, but Draco stood as still as he could, his eyes openly challenging his father. The other Death Eaters grew bored as Draco didn't react after 10 minutes of repeated attacks. The cruciatus curse had been used on him so often he'd lost count of it over the years. Lucius probably used it as often on Draco over a single summer as any other wizard probably would in their entire life, some Death Eaters included. Lucius wasn't happy with Draco's lack of response, his eyes narrowed as without warning he changed his attack to the slashing spell. Unlike the cruciatus curse, it left a wake of scars on the victim's body which is exactly why he was careful not to hit Draco's face. "Secare" he bellowed with a triumphant smile as Draco's eyes widened in shock before he gasped in pain and doubled over, he had been taught enough Latin to know the phrase meant _to cut_ and he felt his skin rip from within as though someone had placed a dagger on the underside of his skin as the curse sliced him open. Lucius never really needed a reason to punish Draco but it was always good to have one. Narcissa looked on in horror as her beloved son was tortured by his own father. She couldn't show any signs of weakness, no tears, no pleas to stop, experience had taught her that it would only prolong her son's ordeal, so she stood aside watching the scene with a look of utter boredom while her heart twisted in pain.

Draco didn't know how long it was since he had passed out from the pain. He had awoken to find his clothes soaked in his own blood, some of it had dried up and hurt when he moved. He slowly returned to the room to find his mother waiting for him. He mutely allowed her to fix as much of him as she could as he consumed some of the potions he'd bought back with him before going to bed. That night dinner was an elaborate affair, the Dark Lord was to dine with them and progress was to be discussed. Draco sincerely wished that he could skip the entire thing but knew that there was no escaping his fate. If his father was unforgiving, it was nothing compared to the Dark Lord, who seemed to take genuine delight in the plight and suffering of others. Draco kept his face devoid of expression as the Death Eaters seated on either side of him were punished for not accomplishing their respective tasks, knowing that he was most likely to be next. Somehow, the Dark Lord seemed rather disinterested that Draco had yet to sort out the task he'd been entrusted. Draco breathed a sigh of relief but Lucius appeared extremely concerned by the turn of events.

The next day, Draco spent his time isolated from everyone in the manor stating that he had homework to catch up on. The following morning during breakfast he was informed that his initiation would take place that evening and that he was to return to Hogwarts after it. Draco had no idea what to expect but was certain that he would find it unpleasant, judging by the level of excitement amongst the Death Eaters. He heard bits and pieces of conversations, whatever it was the rest would get to participate in it. He'd already taken the oath when he'd accepted the Dark Mark, so clearly, this was part of the festivities rather than the formalities.

Narcissa looked at Draco with sympathy when he descended the stairs to the ballroom. The darkness that shrouded the room made it nearly impossible for Draco to understand what was happening and it took him a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the insufficient of lighting. A high pitched tormented scream tore through the silence followed by raucous laughter. Draco looked in the direction of the sounds and could notice some movement. As he drew closer he saw a small group of people cowering from the surrounding Death Eaters, but there wasn't anywhere for them to run. They appeared to be a family, mother, father and a small boy. The mother was holding the little boy who was probably unconscious, given the odd angle of his limbs. The father was pleading to release his family in exchange for himself, Draco found himself respecting the unknown man. Just then Lucius entered dragging a young girl behind him, she was probably Draco's age or younger. The girl was trying to pull herself away from Lucius without any success, but not for a lack of trying. She bit Lucius on the hand before running to the man who was probably her father. The woman was trying to revive the little boy but he looked dead now that Draco was able to take a closer look.

"Draco, step forward son." Lucius summoned him. Draco stood before the family looking from one to the other, he figured that they must be Muggles considering they didn't realize that their son had been killed by the killing curse. "We'll be practicing the spells we worked on over the summer. Of course, we'll be here to help you, but this is your party so we expect you to take part completely." Draco didn't quite understand the meaning of his father's cryptic words until the so-called party was underway. The smell of alcohol lay heavy in the air as the Death Eaters played their own drinking game. Draco had been ordered to use the cruciatus curse on the mother and father, while the girl looked on and had taken a shot of Ogden's every time any of them had screamed. Draco tried to minimize the intensity of his curses but the others overcompensated with their enthusiasm. Finally growing bored of the repeated cries, they moved over to the girl. Lucius whispered his instructions to Draco who stared at his father in utter disbelief, how could his father think of doing something like that when his mother was present in the same room. The air was thick with anticipation, he knew that his refusal wouldn't spare the girl any pain but at least his participation ensured that it would be as little as possible.

"Imperio" Draco muttered, a single tear rolling down his cheek as he felt his heart grow sick with the thought of what he was about to do to that poor girl. She stopped crying quite suddenly before she stood up and began undressing. Her parents were stunned for a few seconds before they began protesting. Once she was completely naked, Draco broke the curse. The girl looked around confused and tried to cover herself again. But the nearest Death Eater caught her and threw her to his friends, each one groped her before passing her on to the next like she was an inanimate object, before finally tossing her to Draco. He picked her up in his arms declaring that he wanted to savour the moment without intrusion, the others voiced their disappointment but cheered him on nonetheless. He took her to his room and dressed her in a shirt and a pair of trousers that lay at the back of his wardrobe, he'd outgrown it a few summers ago. She'd been a mess crying continuously until she found herself dressed in his clothes. Draco gave her some money and told her to get as far away from her home as possible and live with a distant relative or someone far away from here. She was reluctant to leave her family but Draco explained that he had a better chance at saving them if she were safe. She thanked him, rather confused by his behaviour.

He waited for a respectable amount of time before returning to the ballroom, a look of smug satisfaction on his face as he dragged a lifeless form into the dark room. He had utilized his time to transform a dress mannequin to resemble the girl with the necessary anatomical attributes, it was crude and barely passed for human with one of his mom's old wigs but Draco knew that the Death Eaters would have consumed a fair amount of Ogden's Firewhiskey by this time to not realise his deception. The very drunk Death Eaters took turns to violate the mannequin while the parents who were surprisingly still alive wept as their supposed daughter was repeatedly raped by a group of masked strangers. They threw the body aside once they were done with her, deciding on continuing the party in London. Draco declined from joining in the festivities using the excuse that he was due to return to school and hadn't quite finished his packing.

Once he was certain that all the Death Eaters had left, he returned to the family, who were mourning the loss of their children. The mother rushed to him, slapping him hard on the cheek before she broke down asking him why he'd done it to her baby. Draco consoled himself with the thought that he'd spared the real girl from the traumatic event. The father was holding the mannequin without really looking at it, as Draco transformed it back to a mannequin, the father looked up at Draco horrified. Draco began speaking really fast, quickly explaining what had happened once he'd taken the girl out of sight. He checked the boy and regrettably informed them that the boy was beyond help and their only consolation was that it had been painless and quick. He asked his mother to arrange for them to be sent to a safe location as he had to make his way back to school. Narcissa looked at her boy with pride; despite his initial upbringing he'd matured into the kind of person that had character. She saw to the immediate disposal of the dress mannequin who had been tortured in place of the girl.

-o0o-

Draco stepped out of the horse carriage and gazed at the Entrance Hall with a feeling of relief, he was home. He wanted to go and see Hermione but he knew he couldn't just yet. First, he supervised the unloading of his bag and miscellaneous luggage, he had arrived around midnight and he knew that getting caught by one of the other prefects or Filch wouldn't do any favours for his record. Instead, he grabbed his broom and headed to the largest window in the Slytherin common room, it was a bit of a squeeze considering Draco had gotten much taller since the first time he'd snuck out for a late-night ride. He flew carefully in the dark enjoying the cool breeze that held a hint of rain. The glossy surface of the Black Lake rippled while unseen creatures cracked twigs underfoot in the Forbidden Forest and its trees whispered to each other.

He counted carefully as he attempted to determine the exact location of the hospital wing. The wrong window would get him into more trouble. He unlocked the window and hopped in silently, Hermione was a bed away from the window. Draco laid his broom on the floor and walked towards Hermione's bed. He gazed down at her eternal sleeping form and felt doubt take him over, he'd decided on his way back to try something but the probability of it working was slim to nothing. "I'm sorry for doing this without your permission but I'll accept any punishment you wish to bestow upon me, my love" he whispered.

Ever since Harry had read Malfoy's letter he'd been paranoid that someone would try to attack Hermione in the hospital wing. He'd been too suspicious to share his thoughts with anyone, even Ginny as he didn't want her to say anything to Ron who might say something to Lavender. Despite Ron's acceptance of his mistake, he'd covered up for Lavender's behaviour yet again. It was the third night since the incident, and Harry was keeping watch, hidden partially by the darkness but mostly by his invisibility cloak. When he heard a window unlock, he'd been prepared to stun, jinx or curse whoever it was, as he was quite convinced that Hermione was about to be attacked. However, the tall silhouette, graceful gait and shock of blonde hair glinting in the moonlight meant it could be only one person, Malfoy. Harry hadn't spotted him at dinner, which meant that he must have arrived much later. He was quite tempted to hex Malfoy and ask questions later after all Malfoy's attention was focused on Hermione, but he stepped cautiously closer to see what he was going to do. Harry heard Malfoy say the words 'my love' and before he could react to the phrase, Malfoy had leaned over, softly caressing Hermione's face before he claiming her lips for a long moment while Harry stared, frozen where he stood.

Draco could feel that Hermione's lips were cold and he instinctively pressed himself more into the kiss. This kiss was like none of the others, however, as Hermione was completely unresponsive. Draco felt his heart about to break and was beginning to pull away when with a sudden gasp Hermione began to kiss him back. Draco sat on the edge of the bed and drew Hermione to himself without letting go of her lips for a second while Hermione, in turn, wrapped her arms around Draco and pressed herself against him. If Harry had been surprised by Malfoy's advances, he was stupefied by Hermione's reaction. When they finally broke the embrace, Draco had an odd expression of nausea and something else while Hermione looked like she'd promptly fallen back to sleep with a smile on her face. Draco seemed ill, he stumbled as he made his way back to the window, collapsing on the nearest bed after just a few steps.

Harry had a lot of questions, nonetheless, the two unconscious inmates were not about to give him any answers tonight. Now that Hermione had appeared to be revived, Harry decided to return to his dorm for a well-needed sleep. He wondered if he should do something about Malfoy's broom but he decided to leave things as they were and let the events reveal themselves. He wondered if perhaps sleep deprivation had caused him to hallucinate; he was quite certain that no one would believe him if he told anyone what had happened. It was too far-fetched for even him to believe even though he'd seen it with his own two eyes.

-o0o-

 **Note:** At first I thought that I'd put this at the start of the chapter. But perhaps you shall be more forgiving now that you've read the chapter. Then again maybe not, after all, you want to know what happens next as much as I wish to tell you. I'm doing my best to try and get the next chapter but after that, I do believe that I won't be able to update until I've submitted all my assignments. I'd love to see lots of comments and reviews about the story and any other requests you might have. I can't make any promises yet but I'm trying to do something special, which I hope will be well received.

 **Lots of Love...Esa**


	11. Azartspēle

**A/N:** Hi Everyone,

So it's probably been over a month since my last update. So much has happened and I could write a lot about why this particular chapter got delayed. But I'm going to try and keep the explanation brief. I had a personal emergency in addition to my assignment submission and didn't have any time eat or sleep let alone write. Nevertheless, I tried my best to write this chapter but I was literally writing bits and pieces and it was so fragmented it was quite nonsensical. I fixed it up and sent it to my wonderful Beta who provided me with her much-needed insight. **Thanks so much my dear, I'm always grateful for your support**.

A huge apology to all my faithful readers especially **Rouss Bz** who has been a follower since the beginning and has been sending me so much love. Thanks to everyone who has PM'd me asking about when the next chapter will be out. It's very encouraging to know that so many people are interested in how the story will develop. This chapter had a lot of reworking, I'm making this up as I go even though I have a plan of how things will end up. That being said, if anything strikes you as odd...please bring it to my notice via PM or in the review section so that I can fix it. Honestly, it's 3am right now and I need to sleep.

Now something about this chapter, considering how long it's been, I'd suggest you re-read the last chapter as the story will be picking up from there. I hope this chapter is worth the wait. Will certainly try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible but I can't make any promises just yet. Keep the love coming, I'm really going through a rough time. Also, I realize that I spend a lot of time trying to make decisions about small details... **if you'd like to help speed up the process...please look for info at the end of this chapter.** Thanks in advance.

BTW **_Azartspēle_** the name of this chapter is the **Latvian** word for **_Gamble_**...do you think this title is appropriate? Comment Yay if you agree...if not what do you think would be a more suitable name for this chapter?

 **Enjoy!**

 **Love... _Esa_**

 **Azartspēle**

The air was crisp in the early hours of the morning. Sunlight was brimming over the edge of the horizon colouring the sky in vivid shades of purple and pink as the inky blackness retreated. Draco's eyes fluttered open and it took him a minute to recollect where he was and what he was doing there. He scampered out of the bed he had collapsed onto only hours earlier. He knew he looked a mess but he really needed to get away before anyone saw him. He looked down at Hermione's peaceful sleeping form, bending down to kiss her forehead before he grabbed his broom and left the hospital wing the way he'd entered. Luckily for him, no one had closed the window in the Slytherin dungeon. Draco made his way to his dorm for a fresh set of robes before heading to the common baths, he didn't have time for the prefects' bath today.

Hermione awoke feeling exhausted and refreshed at the same time. Over the years Harry, Ron, and herself had been to the hospital wing often enough for them to recognize it in a single glance, but she couldn't recall why she was there. Hermione felt too comfortable to call out to Madame Pomfrey, she knew that she'd probably be along to check on her any moment anyway. Glancing towards the window, Hermione could see the early sun, so she guessed that it was not long after sunrise. Her brain felt foggy, her memories hazy and out of focus. She closed her eyes at the growing brightness in the room as the sun rose higher. She wished someone would close the damned curtains. She remembered walking into the corridor and then seeing the Quidditch pitch though she couldn't recall anything specific about either location but, her eyes snapped open when she recalled the prefects' bath. She knew exactly what had landed her in the hospital. Draco had tried to kill her and she had escaped by some miracle. The more she thought about it, however, the less sense it made, yet she could see it clearly in her mind. The hate and contempt in his eyes were burnt into her memory. Hermione shuddered as she realized that his hatred for her caused her more anguish than the fact that he'd attacked her. She was smart enough to figure out what was happening but it seemed ridiculous to be attracted to someone who was trying to kill you, if not plain stupid.

After a few more minutes of sending her head in dizzy circles, Hermione thought that she must have suffered a concussion and that was the reason she had these mixed up thoughts. It was certainly a much more satisfying answer than being attracted to your killer! Even if she wasn't completely sure that Draco had really tried to kill her; unless he'd meant to keep her alive in which case he didn't intend to kill her. Her head felt heavy and she knew that thinking about it wouldn't resolve her questions. She was about to go back to sleep when Madame Pomfrey bustled in and closed the blinds on the window. The nurse stared at the bed beside the window, it appeared as if someone had slept in it but Hermione had been her only resident patient the previous night.

"Thanks, the sunlight was disturbing me," Hermione sighed as she closed her eyes, missing Madame Pomfrey's startled expression.

"You're awake Ms. Granger! If you don't mind could you please sit up so that I may check you. Then, you need to eat some breakfast before returning to bed. After all, you have been asleep for three days" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed upon regaining her composure. She raised each of Hermione's arms and ran her wand over them before moving to her legs.

"You're still suffering from the side effects of the poison, it was left in your body for far too long. However, I believe that you should be fine by the end of the day. I need to inform Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall that you're awake and I'm sure your friends will be delighted to see you".

Hermione took in the information without voicing any of the questions that were buzzing around her brain. Things weren't adding up correctly. As hard as she tried, she couldn't recall being poisoned. She'd have to ask Harry, he'd tell her the whole story, she was sure he'd know.

She was plowing through her fourth piece of toast along with some bacon and eggs when Harry and Ginny walked into the hospital wing. Ginny yelped as she dropped her bag to the floor and ran to Hermione. Harry didn't look as surprised as Ginny but clearly, he was just as happy judging by the wide grin plastered on his face. Ginny was clearly overwhelmed, she kept oscillating between staring at Hermione and hugging her. Harry waited for Ginny to calm down before asking the now disheveled Hermione how she was feeling.

"In a word, _confused_. I was really hoping you'd be able to tell me what happened but it's almost time for the first class and it will take you awhile to get there. Besides, I'm still suffering from some of the side effects and need to rest a bit more. How about you come over during the lunch break?" Hermione asked with a smile. Harry grinned back, "Sure thing. I'll see you during the lunch break." Ginny gave Hermione a final parting hug before Harry hugged her saying, "It's good to have you back, Hermione." Hermione smiled as the happy couple left her to finish her breakfast. As she drifted into sleep, she heard a gentle voice ask for her forgiveness and a familiar pair of lips pressed against her own, the kiss had a desperation that eluded her.

-o0o-

Draco flinched as he gazed at his reflection, he looked like a wreck and felt like it too. His unbuttoned shirt revealed the barely healed wounds left by the _secare_ curse. The cursed wounds refused to heal completely and they continued to bleed under a thin layer of skin that kept him from bleeding out. The poison he'd absorbed from Hermione didn't do him any favours either. He'd passed out mostly from exhaustion and partly because of the poison. In his nightmare, Hermione was being tortured and he was forced to torture her too. There had been other visions as well, but this one was clear as day to him. It was a likely possibility considering she was one of Potter's best friends, muggle-born, and certainly the brains of the operation. Torturing her was something of an inevitability, even if he wasn't part of it. He'd been frantic since waking up, trying to conjure a way to protect her against every plausible event.

Harry noticed that Malfoy was at breakfast and that he looked a little worse for wear. It had been too dark in the hospital wing for a clear look, but in the Great Hall, while his perfect robes looked just as impeccable as always, there was a tiredness to him, droop in his shoulders. He knew that Malfoy had taken the poison from Hermione and clearly he was still suffering from the side effects in silence. It was almost impossible for Harry to imagine that Malfoy was suffering in silence for Hermione. He would have loved to walk up to Malfoy and ask him what in hell was going on but he had a feeling that wouldn't do any good. He'd have to ask Hermione, though she'd be reluctant, he knew that she always told him the truth, eventually.

-o0o-

Hermione was awoken before lunch by a pair of storm grey eyes that were watching her intently. She almost screamed but a hand swiftly clamped over her mouth while the other hand restrained her to the bed.

"Hey, it's just me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm so glad you broke out of it before too much time had passed. I'm really sorry I failed to give you the potion in time, regardless of the hindrances." Draco rambled, staring into her eyes, willing her to believe him before lifting his hand off her mouth.

"Ummm... what potion?" Hermione asked upon release. Draco opened his mouth to answer but he caught the faint trace of voices in the corridor. "Potter... I'd better go before things get out of hand. Meet me in the corridor after dinner if you're out of here, I've got something to tell you. And if you're still here, I'll come by later. Get well soon." He kissed the top of her head and left a stunned Hermione wondering if she was having a particularly lucid dream.

Harry burst through the doors followed shortly by Ginny, Ron, and Lavender. Hermione had hoped to discuss her dreams with Harry and Ginny, but there was no way she was going to do that in the presence of Ron and Lavender. She was rather surprised to see Ron all together, considering they weren't on speaking terms as far as she recalled. Ron looked rather guilty while Lavender appeared fairly bored. Hermione chose to ignore them for the moment, focusing on Harry with a ' _well get on with the story'_ look. Harry glanced at each of the visitors before he narrated the entire potions incident. He stuck to the well-known version of the story, eliminating Malfoy's letter and what he'd seen the previous night. He had mixed feelings towards Malfoy, he had been quite certain that Malfoy had taken the Mark. Harry had expressed his doubts to Hermione who had also noticed how distant and brooding Malfoy had become since the beginning of the term. Harry hadn't voiced his latest suspicions to her though, but it kept nagging him. Malfoy's desire to keep Hermione safe stemmed from something more than just friendly concern.

Malfoy didn't do anything without gaining something in return. Harry could bet his life that Malfoy wanted Hermione safe to fulfill some ulterior motive. Though what could Hermione have that Malfoy couldn't get otherwise was where Harry's imagination drew the line. Then there was yesterday's scene to be considered, which only complicated things further. So far, Malfoy's motivation towards Hermione seemed clear-cut in the way Malfoy approached her or gave her knowing looks, it appeared that he and Hermione had made some sort of deal and he wanted her to not die on him, quite literally. But breaking the curse of the poisoned apple required you to draw forth the venom and ingest it, a kiss that had the power to awaken the victim from the death-like sleep was no ordinary kiss, it would have had to stem from a love so deep that death itself would step aside. Could Malfoy love anyone with such depth? And of all people Hermione? Whom he had detested since the first moment he laid eyes on? Harry was terribly afraid that Malfoy was using Hermione and that she would get the short end of the stick eventually.

Hermione's eyes had a distant look as her mind was furiously piecing together the information Harry had provided her. This must be the potion Malfoy was apologizing about, Ron and Lavender the hindrances possibly. He'd been sent home on the same day as per his father's request, so it was unlikely that he'd ever attacked her. But there was one very important question.

"Harry...if Malfoy failed to give me the potion in time which is what landed me here, then how did I get cured?" Hermione had said the words aloud before she could stop herself. Everyone looked with rapt attention at Harry waiting for an answer.

"I don't know..." Harry lied, silently promising Hermione the whole truth once they were alone "Professor McGonagall just told us this morning that you'd awoken by some miracle."

"Oh... I see," Hermione wasn't convinced that Harry had been truthful but decided not to push the matter.

"We're really sorry about accidentally knocking over the potion. I really do think that Malfoy would have killed you if he'd given you the potion though." Ron apologized while defensively holding on to his point of view.

"That's impossible Ron. The potion allows the drinker the ability to feel exceptionally strong feelings of love that mimics true love, which would have allowed Malfoy to break the curse. As much as I hate to admit it, Malfoy is very adept at Potions and quite intelligent." Hermione finished with a grimace. Ron looked rather upset and Lavender looked gleeful. "I didn't realize you were so keen to have Malfoy kiss you. Do you fancy him?" Ron asked with a scowl.

Hermione almost blushed recalling the couple of kisses she'd shared with Draco. She wondered how she ought to respond when Harry answered for her "Seriously Ron... Hermione isn't keen on kissing anyone, all she was saying was that if you had let Malfoy complete the task, she'd not be in the hospital wing. Anyways, lunch is almost over and we've got Care of Magical Creatures next, so we'd better get a move on."

"There's something else that I need to tell you when we're alone," Harry whispered to Hermione as he hugged her goodbye. She nodded wordlessly bidding them farewell.

Hermione was allowed to leave the hospital wing later that afternoon after Madame Pomfrey was satisfied that she was capable of walking without collapsing on her way out. Hermione had asked the medi-witch about how she had been cured. "You were awake when I arrived my dear. There's no medicine or spell that can counter that poison, except true love or the true love potion, had it been given to you in time. I do believe that in the cover of darkness your true love stole a kiss from your lips and sucked the poison from you. Isn't it romantic? He must be really strong because the poison causes terrible exhaustion. He'd suffer nightmares much like you must have endured."

"Nightmares ... so those were not memories. He never did attack me." Hermione muttered, understanding what had occurred since she had become unconscious after eating the apple. "Thank you, Madame Pomfrey."

Hermione stowed her wand in her pocket and decided to take a walk outside. She was too late for the last class of the day yet too early for dinner, besides she'd been stuck indoors for the last few days and she was desperate for some fresh air. It was a lovely clear evening with a hint that autumn was on its way. She walked to the lake and was throwing pebbles into it when an approaching shadow made her look over her shoulder. The setting sun made her squint, all she could see was the silhouette of someone wearing Quidditch robes and holding a broom but the figure was too tall to be Harry and too graceful to be Ron. She had completely lost track of time as she had been thinking over things.

"Nice to see you out of bed, my love," Draco said with a smile, there was no hint of sarcasm to the endearment as he sat down beside her. "Where are your siamese twins? Seems unusual that they'd let you wander around on your own when you've just got out of the hospital wing" he remarked looking around for signs of Harry or Ron but not finding any.

"They don't know I'm out of the hospital wing yet. I decided to take a walk, I've been cooped up for the last few days you know. What have you been up to while I tottered between life and death?" Hermione finished, casually glancing at Draco with a small smile.

Draco closed his eyes inhaling deeply, he wondered if he should just tell her everything. Actually, he'd planned on explaining things but he needed to know that she trusted him sufficiently. It was complicated and he knew the danger he'd be putting her in, yet there was no point in trying to keep her in the dark. She'd figure it out sooner or later, she wasn't the brightest witch of the age for nothing. If he survived the war and if Voldemort lost as he hoped, it would certainly help to have her on his side. He just needed to find the right place to tell her, somewhere secure as he couldn't afford anyone else finding out what he was going to tell her.

"I just went home for a bit. Father wasn't happy that I'd messed up in potions and brought shame on the Malfoy name...blah...blah...blah. He was delighted it was you though, I think he was hoping you'd not wake up. So what did you see while you were unconscious? They say the poison makes you see nightmares of your true love betray you." Draco knew that his kiss had awoken her, which meant that she felt the same way about him as he did for her even if she wasn't aware of it yet.

"I don't really remember any of it but I am rather curious as to how I was woken up. Madame Pomfrey is certain that my true love came under the cover of darkness to bestow a kiss upon me and steal me from death." Hermione laughed at the absurdity of the whimsical notion as she continued "It sounds like something I'd find in Romeo and Juliet or a fairytale. But I can't think of one person who'd feel so strongly about me." Hermione frowned, looking at the lake as it shimmered in last rays of the day. She had seen Malfoy betray her, which made him her true love if the proposed theory was accurate. Regardless of the random kisses they'd shared or his altered behaviour he couldn't possibly love her, it was too far-fetched, too ridiculous to be true.

"No matter how unworthy we think we are, through the eyes of love all imperfections are perfected. To the one who loves you, you will never be anything less than the most beautiful creation to ever exist." Draco stated simply tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he gently turned her to face him, her chocolate brown eyes automatically locked on to his turbulent grey ones as he bent his head to kiss her. He pressed his lips softly against hers before parting them, his tongue licked her lips as he ventured further into her mouth. The kiss deepened as Hermione responded with equal fervor. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist, turning and pulling her into him while her hands combed through his hair. Hermione knew that she was playing a risky game as she lay among the fallen leaves while her lips caressed and tasted the boy who had once been her sworn enemy, but her curiosity had grown with each encounter as had her desire. Without warning, she pulled away from Draco's lips and feathered a trail of kisses along his jaw and down his throat before she nibbled at the soft flesh at the base of his neck earning a groan from him. When her lips left him, she had branded him as her own, this was a mark he'd wear with pride.

Draco abruptly stepped away, Hermione was about to undo his robes and he needed to explain things before they ventured any further but it would have to wait for later. "We have to stop, we should be in the Great Hall. It'll be conspicuous if we're not present at dinner. You go ahead, we can't exactly enter together. I'll see you after dinner." He said, picking out a few leaves that had gotten entangled in her hair as she straightened out her uniform. Her eyes were glowing with desire and her lips were slightly swollen from their kissing as she nodded her understanding of his unspoken words. Draco swooped down, kissing her one last time before he let her go, sucking a bit on her lower lip.

Hermione was blushing as she ran all the way back to school. She knew that she was throwing caution to the wind, hadn't she promised herself that she'd learn from Malfoy but not fall for the slimy git? Yet he seemed to bewitch her senses and not merely by his presence, his words and actions were so unlike him and that's what really threw her off. This new and improved Malfoy was getting under her skin. Hermione groaned as she realized she definitely had a crush on him if nothing else. She took a deep calming breath before entering the Great Hall and heading over to the Gryffindor table where she received a loud and boisterous welcome. Everyone was glad Hermione had awoken and equally curious about how or rather who had awoken her. Hermione saw the evident disappointment as she confessed that she didn't have the slightest idea. Parvati leaned over and exclaimed in a loud excited whisper "Maybe it's your secret admirer, the one who sent you those flowers." Hermione blushed as her eyes flicked to the Slytherin table and met the steady gaze of storm grey eyes that smiled softly at her before she looked at her plate.

Just like everyone else, Harry was happy to have Hermione back but he knew what had awoken her much to his own discomfort. However, unlike the rest of the table, he didn't miss Hermione's glance at Malfoy nor the smile that graced his lips. He had been certain that telling Hermione what had happened would clear things up but the more he thought about it the more suspicious it appeared. Malfoy and Hermione had absolutely nothing in common, from their lifestyle to their sense of morality. They were as different as night and day, pureblood-mudblood, Slytherin-Gryffindor, coward-brave, selfish-selfless and if he spent enough time he'd have a longer list, but they were the most unlikely of friends let alone anything more. If Malfoy really had taken the Mark during the summer as Harry believed and he was using Hermione for some plan then Harry knew that his knowledge of their relationship could put her at risk. Harry trusted Hermione even if he didn't know her reasons, but Malfoy was a different matter altogether, but then again Malfoy _was_ being rather different too. Harry decided that he'd wait and watch before saying anything.

Hermione was frantic about all the school work and classes she'd missed and despite everyone reassuring her that she'd catch up with no trouble at all, she soon had a list of most of her assignments shortly after dinner. All except for Ancient Runes as she was the only Gryffindor in her year to take the class. She would have started on her homework immediately but she decided to meet with Professor Babbling first. She walked briskly to Professor McGonagall's office and procured a permission slip. The slip was an all-access after-hours pass to the castle, so long as she wasn't caught making out in a hallway she was in a sense untouchable. She made a quick dash to Professor Babbling's office and was informed by her highly delighted professor that no homework had been assigned during Hermione's absence.

Hermione clutched the letter to her chest as she made her way to the deserted corridor, she was certain Malfoy would be waiting there as promised, a huge smile plastered to her face and her eyes shining. "What's got you smiling like a ditzy idiot? Don't tell me, some other fool has made a mediocre attempt to woo you." Draco questioned with a frown, his eyes growing dark as he looked at the letter in her hands. He stepped forward and snatched the letter from a surprised Hermione. His eyes roamed the letter, quickly making sense of its contents. He calmly handed the letter back to her before he began walking along the corridor without a word. "Where are you going? I thought you had something to tell me." Hermione asked as she jogged to keep up with his long strides. "We're going to a safer place. I do have something important to tell you and I don't want anyone overhearing us." He explained briefly as he took another turn, pausing to make sure that they were truly alone. Then they took a flight of stairs, another corridor and a few more twists and turns later Hermione figured out where they were headed. Malfoy walked past the wall on the seventh-floor corridor a few times causing a door to appear.

He opened it and waited for Hermione to enter, following after her. It was a cozy room with a couple of couches, a coffee table, and a roaring fire. There was a bookshelf to the left and a table with blankets. Hermione was curious as to what Draco had been thinking about to conjure up a room like this one. She turned to find him seated on one of the couches watching her. Feeling self-conscious she scuttled back to the couch, sitting beside Draco who was now gazing at the fire in the grate while she silently threw confused glances his way. Draco began speaking very softly, barely above a whisper, causing Hermione to lean in closer so as to hear him.

"I don't really know where to begin but I suppose the first thing I should tell you is that whatever I say to you must stay between us. You can't say anything to your friends or anybody else for that matter, it could put us both in danger. Do we have a deal?" He turned to Hermione looking extremely exhausted. Whatever it was, it was killing him, slowly but surely. Hermione nodded her acceptance without thinking about much else other than the haggard boy before her, who looked like the burden of the world rested on him. _Had he really changed so much over the last year? He was almost unrecognizable compared to the arrogant little twerp she recalled from her early years as if he'd always been the kind and gentle soul she saw now but had pretended to be a proud, arrogant, spoiled brat? Surely not, that would be insane._

"I've been entrusted a task and part of accomplishing this task requires me to fix something old and complicated which uses very ancient enchantments and charms. I want your help in fixing it but it can't be common knowledge to anyone else, I don't know who his spies are but they can be anywhere and everywhere. I'm sure you're aware that my father failed to retrieve the prophecy from the ministry last year. If I fail as well then we'll all be swiftly executed as examples of what happens to those who fail to live up to expectations. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Draco looked at her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears but a firm and determined set to his jaw.

Hermione stared unblinkingly like she had been petrified, again. However, it was clear that she was battling different emotions within herself, Draco could almost see the cogwheels whirling behind her eyes. He waited, hoping that she'd give him an opportunity to explain himself before she condemned him. "When did this happen?" she asked, an almost imperceptible tremble in her voice before she took a deep steadying breath. "Over the summer." He answered as emotionlessly as possible. "I need you to be honest with me on my next question because I'm deciding if going against my better judgment and trusting you, Draco Malfoy is something I'll live to regret or not. Did you join him voluntarily or were you coerced?" She held his gaze with her own and at that moment Draco bared his very soul to her, dropping all his defenses. "Let's just say it was not my idea of a fun summer. I'm trapped within my own life, Hermione. I can't even die because they'll torture my mother or worse. My father is delighted that he's been accepted back on account of my appointment. He's cruel Hermione, in ways you cannot imagine." Draco stood up, discarding his school robes before undoing his shirt. Hermione was confused by his sudden need to undress until she saw the gashes across his torso. She could tell that they were the work of a dark curse, she vaguely recollected reading about curses that were forbidden and considered as vile as the **Unforgivable Curses**. "THIS..." he spat out, pointing to his raw flesh, "...is what that man does to his only son, his own flesh, and blood. This because I messed up on a potion and got a detention. If my mother wasn't so skilled at healing magic, I'd have been covered from head to toe in scars considering the punishments that I've received over the years. Can you imagine what would have happened had I refused? I agreed but I'm not particularly enthusiastic about their plans." Draco made a move to fasten his shirt buttons but Hermione stopped him by gently grazing her fingers over his chest. "It's still not healed, you should see Madame Pomfrey." Her eyes were full of concern for a man she'd just discovered to be a Death Eater. Draco couldn't believe that of all that he'd just said his health was what had nabbed her attention.

"I really can't explain how I got these and like I said I'm sort of on a secret mission. As long as I keep drinking the blood replenishing potion and don't do anything stupid, I should be fine. I'm aware that what I'm asking of you is a lot but I really could do with your help and I swear upon my life that I will do my best to protect as many innocent lives as possible and do whatever I can to thwart them." Draco vowed placing his hand upon his heart.

" You and I had a deal, you help me get Ron and I will help you fix something in exchange, that's all that there was to it. But this...this complicates things. I can't really lie to Harry, I have lots of questions but now may not be the time for those answers. I think it's best we keep things simple. I need some time to think things over, however, considering the circumstances I feel obliged to inform you that I'm not sure I can keep my end of the bargain, Draco. I need to get back now." Hermione finished in a rush as she stepped away from Draco and he nodded as she moved towards the door.

As she reached the door, she looked back over her shoulder to find Draco shrugging into his robes. He caught her gaze"Promise me, you'll think about it, Hermione." She nodded feeling unbelievably conflicted, a part of her wanted to run and tell Harry that he was right and turn Draco in. But in the same breath, her heart ached for the boy who had probably suffered more than she had on account of the mishap during Potions. A boy who was a victim of his circumstances and who had sought refuge in her. A boy who was an obvious victim of abuse. A boy who starting to make her skin tingle and her blood rush. She knew that he'd taken a gamble by confessing to her, yet he'd done it. Surely, she was also taking a gamble in choosing to trust him, this could be a trap. Perhaps gaining her trust was part of an elaborate scheme. But Hermione was a champion of the underdog and from everything she had just heard Malfoy definitely qualified as an unsuspecting underdog. She hadn't made any commitments yet, but she was already thinking about everything he'd just said. Life just got a lot more complicated with Malfoy in the mix, she thought as she entered the common room. She was doubtful about getting any rest tonight with her mind rushing in a thousand different directions. In her heart, she knew that she would have agreed to help him in a heartbeat but she had to think it through or they'd both be in danger. If Voldemort's spies were all over the school, their relationship should remain as one of enmity at least in the public eye, Hermione thought to herself as she settled in for a rough night.

Note:

I hope this chapter was interesting to read. I can't wait to write the next few chapters.

I'm really looking forward to your thoughts on this chapter. **Please Review.**

 **Do you I should have a vote? It won't change the major outcome of the story but it will affect how events manifest. Do you want to be part of the decision-making process of the story?**

 **If you do...I need two things from you...**

 **1) A review of your most favourite event/moment in the story so far.**

 **2) Your least favourite moment in the story and how you'd improve it.**

Looking forward to your active participation.

 **Lots of love...Esa**


	12. Cенка

**A/N:** Hello Everyone,

 **Firstly** , a big thank you to all my wonderful readers and your reviews. It makes my day when I find a review or PM that tells me how much you're enjoying the story or what you like. I'm more than happy to answer your questions and I usually reply the moment I read them. Sometimes and in my case, most of the time life tends to keep me busy so I don't log in every day. I have a very hectic schedule with a job, exams and much else ( I'll spare you the details). I'm in the midst of exams so it will take me time to post the next chapter, until **please give me ideas for Hermione's dress**. Thank you, again.

 **Secondly** , those who have volunteered to assist me in the decision process for minor story elements, I'll PM you as and when I come to a crossroads and you can just PM back with your preference. **Please note that you will not get to read the story before anyone else,** but you will know certain aspects, for example, the colour or design of Hermione's dress before anyone else.

 **Thirdly** , I have feedback on the feedback, I know it sounds crazy. But here's the deal, all the positive reviews are encouraging while any critical reviews make me take a step back and see the flaws or discrepancies in the story. The last type is neither encouraging nor enlightening, it just lets me know how you're feeling which is fine too but I can't do anything to help. So please elaborate what is bothering you with the story, if you have to be critical and leave an email address if you're a guest.

 **Eg:**

 **1) Have you even read the books? (or anything to this effect) _Yes, I have multiple times_.**

 **2) I don't like it! _Ok, but if you don't tell me why or what, there's nothing I can do._**

 **Fourth,** I had thought that fanfiction was taking characters and locations from popular or well-known works and interpreting or weaving them into your own fantasy tale. So here's something I should have done in chapter 1.

 **Disclaimer** : The characters, location and original plot belong to JK Rowling. I'm using the general setting of HBP as the starting point of my story and Wizarding Britain as the location, in specific Hogwarts. I have and will continue to modify the location and original plot to suit my story including but not limited to characters and events. I'm endeavouring to ensure that the story is consistent with itself but not necessarily with the canon. **Thank you for reading. Please review to let me know how you like the story or if there's something you don't.**

 **Enjoy! Lots of Love...Esa.**

In keeping with my new policy to name each chapter in a different language, this chapter is called " **Cенка** " which means "shadow" in Serbian and Macedonian (according to Google translate) it's pronounced as ' **senka** '.

 **Cенка (Shadow)**

Hermione hadn't slept a wink just as she had predicted; she sighed to herself at the thought. Today was going to be a long and tiring day. She wanted to call in sick and just stay in bed, she'd barely been out of hospital it was believable enough but that would only give her mind further opportunity to overanalyze her current predicament. Namely, how was she to help Draco without helping Voldemort. It really was a problem as the task entrusted to Draco appeared to be directly connected to the Nameless One. She could feel the answers hover just beyond her grasp, but she was too tired to reach out and snatch at them.

After a few more sighs and much coaxing, she let herself get out of bed. Hermione trudged to the prefect's bathroom along with all her necessary bathing equipment. She debated between a shower or soaking in a bath, deciding in the favour of a shower for fear of drowning in the bath, she was that tired. The warm water eased her tense muscles, the sleepless night having given her a stiff neck. She could hardly believe that she'd regained consciousness only some 24 hours ago. What exactly was she getting into by associating herself with Malfoy? That boy was just heaps of trouble and that was saying something considering she'd been friends with Harry since her first year. Besides, Draco hadn't told her everything, he'd only disclosed information to her on a need-to-know basis. Honestly, she didn't want to have anything to do with this obviously sticky situation yet she felt sympathetic towards this poor misunderstood boy. She was stuck in a loop, aversion to having to do anything with a Death Eater but also realizing that the Death Eater was just a child forced into something. She could scream but what good would that do.

She'd understood from Draco's words that he had a limited amount of time to accomplish his task, yet he still had the luxury of giving her time to consider her decision or at least he acted like it. She wanted to discuss it with Harry so badly, she hated keeping secrets. Apart from the late night conversation, there was the kiss by the lake which she hadn't spared much thought towards. Hermione groaned as she stepped out of the shower, she would need to get a hold of her emotions. Explaining her recent feelings for Harry's arch-rival was difficult enough without the boy being a Death Eater.

 _She had chosen to trust him and take his word on the matter but her rational mind questioned her if she was being blindsided by her sympathetic nature. After all, this drastic change of heart was a recent event with no precursor and as much as she hated the idea he was the only heir to Lucius Malfoy, a man who had pretended for years that he was an upstanding citizen, convincing most of the wizarding world despite damning evidence proving quite the contrary. What was to stop Lucius from training his own son in the art of deception? There was nothing to substantiate Draco's claims, other than the conviction of her own heart that he was speaking the truth. But could not the heart be misled and deceived? Wasn't that true betrayal?_

As she dressed she wondered if this was just a teenage phenomenon that she was experiencing, perhaps her hormones were deluding her into finding Draco attractive, he was good looking after all. She began listing her feelings for Ron vs. Draco. Perhaps she would realize that her attraction to Malfoy was just some misread notion, in fact, she was quite certain of it.

Hermione went back to her dorm for her school robes and found a folded piece of paper tucked inside. She was puzzled for a moment before she recalled that the letter had come from Professor Babbling's friend who was interested in taking her on as an intern during the summer.

It read:

 _Dear Ms. Granger,_

 _I reviewed your transcripts and I'm highly impressed by your work. Your skills are well beyond an average student and I am thrilled to have you on my team during the summer. I will fill you in on the exact details of your internship, this is a paid internship as per Ministry policy._

 _However, I must warn you that it is rather rigorous and challenging as we work on very strict deadlines. Nonetheless, you'll be assigned work for only a month as we are taking applications from all across the globe. I look forward to working with you in the coming year._

 _Warm Regards,_

 _Evalyn Romm._

A small smile graced Hermione's lips. She'd been so happy about it, but now the imminent death of her newfound friend loomed overhead, dampening her spirits. Trust or not, help or not, say something or stay silent. It felt like regardless of her choice someone was bound to get hurt. She folded the letter and kept it along with her other important documents, silently deciding that she would wait until she was in a better headspace. She sighed as she picked up her bag and headed for breakfast. _Would she ever really be ready she wondered?_

Draco had stayed in the Room of Requirement after Hermione had left. He'd tried to fix the vanishing cabinet but knew that without her, he had little chance of success. He returned to his dorm in the early hours of the morning and tried to get some rest. Blaise eyed Draco cautiously, he had known the Malfoy heir since his first year. This Draco didn't remotely match the spunky, confident aristocrat he'd known until last year. While he was still as stylish and as graceful, he looked constantly tired as if he were being worked to the bone but doing what exactly, Blaise wasn't sure. He had tried to ask Crabbe and Goyle but they were as clueless as ever. He probably would have been shocked if they had actually known. Draco, like all Slytherins, was good at keeping secrets.

Blaise wondered if the honey blonde knew anything, though tracking her down would probably be as difficult. In fact, he had been looking for her since he'd learned of her existence but to no avail. He didn't have much to go on besides her hair and while he'd found a few honey blondes, none of them appeared to be the type to interest Draco. He'd known Draco's type for a while now, despite Draco's best attempts to hide it behind disgust and contempt. Maybe Draco didn't even know it yet, Blaise mused.

Harry observed Hermione as she diligently chewed on breakfast while reading her copy of Hogwarts - A History for the millionth time. She had faint shadows beneath her eyes, meanwhile, Malfoy also looked like he hadn't slept much either. Harry squinted from one to the other, wondering if Hermione and Malfoy were hooking up secretly and shuddered at the image his brain provided. He wouldn't mind them getting it on so long as Malfoy was being careful and didn't hurt her. Harry knew that Ron would eventually see the light and come around to asking Hermione out but something told him that Hermione needed more than friendship, she needed passion. Harry wasn't sure if Malfoy was the answer but if it worked for Hermione, then who was he to question her happiness. She didn't look too happy though, more like she was determined to avoid looking anywhere but her book and on occasion her breakfast. Something was up and Harry decided he needed to have a plan.

Over on the Slytherin table, Draco wasn't certain of anything anymore. Until he'd said anything to Hermione, he could always fantasize that she'd offer to help. Now he had to consider the very real possibility of her not only refusing to help but maybe even reporting him to Dumbledore. He'd only asked her to keep the conversation confidential - no swear, no oath, no promise.

 _Draco, you fool, he thought to himself... have you become so blinded by your affection for Granger that you forget to take basic precautions...why don't you just go and confess to the Dark Lord that you're in love with a Muggle-born and not just any old Muggle-born...no you went and fell for Potter's best friend... forbidden fruit is sweet...he smirked to himself...and if her lips were anything to go by she was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted. He was doomed, he had been since the beginning of the mission and perhaps the sooner he made peace with his fate, the better._

Draco noticed over the course of the day that Hermione had determinedly avoided any possible interaction with him. She was so focused on avoiding him she had walked into tables and on occasion walls. She avoided his gaze and made it impossible for him to come anywhere near her. Harry seemed to have picked up on her intention and was an additional hurdle. Not wanting to attract any attention to himself, he took the obvious hint and left her alone. He began avoiding her as much as she did him, he began avoiding meal times as much as possible and taking the most isolated passages to class. He left class before everyone else and made sure that he entered last.

Harry, however, only got more suspicious of Draco's erratic behaviour. It seemed that whatever deal had been struck between his best friend and arch-rival had been dissolved. Considering the way they avoided each other like the plague, everything was over between them. Harry could heave a sigh of relief, he knew that Hermione could handle herself but the thought of her dealing with the Malfoy prat on her own made him uncomfortable. He was still curious about things but it could wait. Hermione seemed to be focusing on her work more than usual and Harry hadn't thought it to be possible until he'd seen her spend every waking moment buried in a text, even during mealtimes. She seemed to have moved into the library and he was certain if Madam Pince had let her, she would have made it her permanent residence.

So far no amount of coaxing seemed to be getting more than monosyllabic answers to any of their questions. But Harry was adamant as always to get some answers.

"Are you feeling alright?" " _Yes_ "

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" " _No_ "

"Are you going to say anything beyond yes and no?" " _No_ "

"Will you help us with homework?" " _Not now_ "

Two words, he had made progress, she was listening to the questions. Time for phase two. "You'll join us for Hogsmeade this weekend right?" Harry made sure he caught her eye as he asked her. Hermione knew that she needed to get herself an outfit for the Halloween Ball. It was supposed to be a Victorian-themed event and even though she didn't have a date she still had to attend it, prefects were obligated. "Yes, but please stop badgering me. Leave me in peace until the end of the week and you can count me in." She gave Harry a small smile. He nodded and promptly turned to face Ginny, who was beaming at him.

Hermione raised her eyes over the edge of her book and looked at the boy with pale blonde hair and storm grey eyes and found him looking at her. Something in his eyes made her feel like he was getting desperate, but he quickly looked away as if it was too painful to look at her. Hermione continued to stare for a moment longer before returning her gaze to her book. She had been feeling awful about her behaviour towards Harry and Ginny, since the night of Draco's confession. But she was terrible at lying, especially when it came to those two and lying to them on account of Malfoy felt like a sin. So she had simply avoided any conversation and resorted to monosyllabic answers but she couldn't keep it up. She decided to explain some of her behaviour while at Hogsmeade, hopefully, they'd be in a better mood to hear her out. She had yet to decide how she would explain her erratic behaviour without explaining her attraction to Malfoy and that he was a Death Eater.

True to his word, Harry had left Hermione to her own devices for the rest of the week. So when Saturday morning arrived he gave Hermione a wide grin as he took the chair beside her. She returned his grin with one of her own, shutting the book she was reading. As Harry opened his mouth to remind her of their promise, Hermione cut him short by saying, "I remember... I gave you my word that I would join you for this Hogsmeade trip and I will meet you at the Entrance Hall after breakfast."

Ginny joined the conversation as Hermione completed her little speech. "That's great. Do you need to get a dress for the Ball too?" When Hermione nodded, Ginny added, "Harry, you won't mind if Hermione and I go ahead and sort out our dresses. We could meet you at The Three Broomsticks, once we're done."

"I don't particularly mind but wouldn't Lavender want to get a dress too? I know you two aren't fond of her but she's dating Ron and it seems rude not to invite her along, especially since we all planned to go to Hogsmeade together." Harry saw Hermione's smile disappear and her growing doubt with each word he uttered but Ginny was grinning brightly waiting for Harry to finish.

"No need to fret about Lavender, she was gloating last evening about her custom tailored, designer, high-end...yadda yada...so basically she doesn't need a dress and we're going on without her." Ginny winked at Harry while grabbing Hermione's hand and dragging her out of the common room. "Give us about two hours, I want to find something absolutely gorgeous for Hermione here. So take your time for breakfast."

Hermione allowed herself to be dragged to the Great Hall wondering what was going through Ginny's head. She had known the redhead for long enough to know the signs, Ginny was up to some mischief. They rushed through breakfast; gobbling up eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Hermione grabbed a couple of apples and put them in her bag before picking up a piece of toast to nibble on the way. As she was leaving the Gryffindor table with Ginny most people were just entering and amongst them was a pale-faced blonde boy who looked like he hadn't been sleeping well. Hermione couldn't help herself as her eyes looked at him across the room, she was about to smile when Daphne wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him squarely on his lips. By the time, Draco had freed himself from Daphne's lips, Hermione had left the hall.

 **Note: Please R &R!**


	13. Hogsmeade

**A/N:** As always the plot line is my own creation but Harry Potter belongs to Ms. Rowling. This is an imaginative creation of my own and may adhere to certain aspects of original content while greatly digressing at other points in time. If you find this disturbing I'm terribly sorry for the discomfort you have endured but it's the 13th chapter so I'm certain you'll live.

I feel quite terrible that it's been so long since my last update. I really had hoped that things would get easier but life is just not easy for a working person who's trying to study. Anyways here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it.

Do leave me some lovely comments and notes. If you write fan-fiction say so in the comment box. Do you have some awesome Dramoine recommendations? I like reading them on my way home. I promise a shout-out to that fanfic and the lovely person who recommended it.

Enjoy my lovely readers!

 **Love..Esa**

 **Hogsmeade**

Ginny hadn't noticed Hermione's eyes narrow in annoyance as she exited the Great Hall, she had been busy talking to Fred and George who she'd found lurking by the main entrance.

As soon as Hermione saw the twins her expression brightened at the sight of them, she hadn't seen the pair since their summer holidays.

"What are you two doing here? Did you sneak into school?" Hermione asked in mock horror.

"Really Hermione, you don't see us for a while and it's like you don't know us anymore." Fred laughed.

"Sneak into school indeed. We're here on business actually." George clarified loftily.

"Business?" Hermione knew better than to trust George blindly but Ginny cut in "Dumbledore thought it would be great to have them assist with the decorations. Keep things lively, I guess."

"No kidding. I hope you get to join us for the Halloween Ball, it would be great to have you two there." Hermione said, a bit surprised by Dumbledore's decision but excited about it nonetheless.

"You can count on us, we'll need to be around to make sure everything is going as planned." Fred said with a wicked grin.

"Sorry boys but Hermione and I really need to run and get our dresses. We'll see you around." Ginny said hastily as she grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her along the path to Hogsmeade.

"Really Gin, what has you so possessed about this Ball? Will you tell me what's going on?" Hermione asked in a firm tone.

"Well, I know that I probably shouldn't have but when I went to get you from your room this morning there was an owl. I wasn't sure what to do but when I opened the window it dropped a letter on your bed and flew right out. I wasn't sure if it was safe to touch so I levitated it into my bag, I was sure you wouldn't want to open it with everyone around and going shopping seemed like the perfect setup to get away without raising any suspicion." Ginny rattled on in a single breath, ending quite abruptly.

"I see. What do mean not safe to touch?" Hermione asked, feeling a bit concerned about the letter yet impressed with Ginny's quick thinking.

"It was the same owl that brought you the flowers that gave Lavender blisters. You do remember that morning, don't you?" Ginny answered, grimacing at the memory.

"Yes, I do, a bit too vividly." Hermione sighed as she held out her hand expectantly. Ginny levitated the letter into her friend's hand as they stood outside the first stop for wizarding robes, _Lady Gladys and the Knight in Armor_ , and admired the items on display.

Hermione put the letter into her bag without a glance, Ginny looked disappointed but decided to not say anything yet. They began looking at different robes but couldn't find something that screamed Victorian at them . They decided to shortlist a few gowns stating they would be back for them if they couldn't find something more appropriate in the meantime. Hermione was rather exhausted by the time they walked into the third or was it the fifth store. She had tried more dresses on than she had ever wanted to in a single hour.

She had three very poufy gowns in the changing room with her and that didn't leave much space to move around and Ginny was still browsing through the racks so Hermione took a moment to sit on the tiny stool in there and open the letter. She had contemplated setting it on fire or throwing it away but her curiosity, as always, wouldn't allow it. She didn't know what to expect an appeal or an apology or maybe he'd tell her it was all just an elaborate joke. After all, she hadn't actually seen the Dark Mark on his arm with her own eyes just merely deduced it from his words.

 _My Love,_

 _I've missed you and your lips. I know that what I asked of you is not easy and while I wish you would choose me, I understand your hesitation. I'm not someone you can trust easily._

 _I will wait for you at midnight on the night of the Halloween Ball to hear your decision. I'll accept whatever fate you choose for me._

 _Yours eternally._

 _Ps. – Hide and seek._

Hermione's eyes narrowed down to angry slits, how dare he swear devotion to her and say he missed her when she had seen him kiss another girl barely an hour ago. She would condemn him to his fate alright. How dare he toy with her emotions? He had known that she was in a vulnerable position the first time he'd met her and this was obviously nothing more than a twisted prank. But then she remembered the way he spoke about his father and his situation, and the welts on his torso. They gave her nightmares and there were tears in her eyes as she recalled the anguish she'd seen in his eyes. What if … what if he wasn't taking advantage of her vulnerability and really was in trouble, with the very real possibility of torture and subsequent death? Would she be able to forgive herself for bringing that fate to him, even if he deserved it? In all these years, he had been rude, hurtful and mean. A bully in the truest sense but never had he done anything that was life-threatening. Her friends on the other hand had led her down the path of danger like clockwork, albeit for all the right reasons, but she hadn't held it against them. No, she had volunteered on most occasions, maybe then he deserved her consideration but she couldn't trust him completely, not just yet.

"What's taking you so long? Have you fallen asleep?" Ginny broke into her thoughts as she barged into the changing room. A look of disbelief appeared on her face at the sight of Hermione sitting in the midst of the gowns reading the letter, tears glistening in her eyes. "What does it say?" Ginny asked apprehensively.

"He wants to meet me at the Halloween Ball." Hermione answered defeatedly but without preamble, which confused Ginny. "Isn't that a good thing? I mean you'll finally know who it is? What's the problem?" Ginny asked. Unlike everyone else, Hermione knew who it was and knew that what Malfoy was asking her to do; was to either join him or abandon him and she had a week to decide.

"I know, it'll be nice to put a face to it but what if it's not what I expect? What if it's just a prank or something much more dangerous?" Hermione rambled. Ginny was frowning as she stated "I think you're overreacting to it. Best case scenario, he's a gorgeous hunk who'll fuck you to cloud 9. Worst case scenario, he's some creepy dweeb who has been stalking you and you can curse and jinx him until he learns that you are not interested in him. Or the best worst-case scenario, he's a gorgeous hunk who you hate and you can fuck him and jinx him." Ginny laughed visualizing the ridiculous idea.

"What?" Hermione was almost certain that Ginny knew something about Malfoy's connection to make that last comment, but she kept her expression innocently bewildered. She had been practicing with the mirror as Malfoy had suggested during one of their conversations.

"Oh, you know, someone who looks totally delectable but who's a total prat...hmmm...like Malfoy. Not him necessarily but it's a perfect example. I mean, I know you two have enough history to publish a book but even you've got to admit that he does look good. I love Harry, so stop gawking like I said something sacrilegious by being a normal girl. Let's take a moment to be honest here, Malfoy has great hair, almost unrealistically great hair, silky silvery platinum blonde locks that would feel awesome to comb your fingers through. Then there's the lovely grey eyes; hard and stony but I've heard a lot of girls say that it looks like a storm brewing when he's in the midst of a romp, not that I would know. Anyways, he's got a nice enough face, chiseled cheekbones, strong jaw and very nice lips. Considering he's been playing quidditch for a while I'm quite certain he's got a pretty athletic muscular build. He's got nice hands and if rumours are true then he's well-endowed where it matters." Hermione had been nodding absentmindedly recalling what Draco looked like without his shirt before she burst into laughter, "You make him sound like a really nice horse you have for sale. Lovely hair, nice physique, strong legs, good for long rides and well-endowed for breeding."

"Hermione, I never said anything about strong legs or riding him or breeding with him. Is there something you're not telling me?" Ginny asked with a sly grin that greatly reminded Hermione of Fred and George.

"C'mon Ginny, you know what I meant." Hermione said growing steadily red under her friend's unwavering gaze.

"I don't know, sounds like you fancy riding Malfoy all night long." Ginny shrugged nonchalantly and laughed as Hermione gasped for words.

"Aww...no way Ginny, I'm going to have nightmares." Hermione squealed as she laughed with Ginny. The image of a half-dressed Draco imprinted firmly in her mind.

"Ok, enough. I'm going to try on these gowns, please let it be one of these, I'm getting sore from this, how can you possibly enjoy this I'll never know." Hermione whined.

"You need to start dressing for your figure, Hermione, at least for occasions. And you're going to meet your secret admirer, I think you should look your best." Ginny grinned.

Hermione frowned as she got into the first gown, her secret admirer needed her for reasons quite outside the realm of a conventional relationship. She could go dressed as a potato salad for all he cared. Hermione had finally understood something from Ginny's description of Malfoy, he looked good and he knew it. He knew that she didn't care for him, his money or social standing. He wanted her help so he played a card she hadn't realized he'd been holding because he'd never played it before. The empathy card, he'd acted like he cared, like she was more than the brain in the golden trio, like he felt more for her than what he'd displayed all these years.

She had to marvel at his degree of self-control while she cringed at her naivety. So, he'd realized that she wanted to be treated as more than an encyclopedia and he'd played along making it seem like he found her attractive. He had never been polite to her or any of them in the past because he'd had no need nor desire, but that didn't mean he lacked etiquette, he could be perfectly charming and chivalrous. He must be really desperate to put on such an act. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she reasoned with herself that she'd probably appease his ego if her life had been on the line. She needed to be professional about her agreement with Malfoy, she still had much to learn and maybe if she agreed to help him she'd know more about Voldemort's plan and perhaps she could help stop it. She stuffed the letter to the bottom of her bag as she realized that feeling anything more than pity for Malfoy would only give her grief.

Hermione stepped out of the changing room and twirled before a floor length mirror. It looked lovely but it wasn't right, she sighed as another dress joined her reject pile. Ginny stepped up to the mirror in a dark purple gown which had a laced corset top, a straight A-line skirt with a full bustle, along with a matching hat and gloves. It contrasted and complimented Ginny's fiery red hair and fair skin.

"That's absolutely perfect, Gin." Hermione exclaimed. "I thought so too." Ginny grinned. "Besides, it comes with all the accessories and it's at a very affordable price. I'm going to take it." Ginny declared delighting in her find.

Hermione was slightly dejected that she hadn't found anything that she liked, they were about to leave when something in one of the racks at the very back of the store caught her attention. She quickly made a move to take a closer look at it. The shop owner asked her to feel free to take a look while he finished adding a few additional modifications to Ginny's gown for added effect which he had been kind enough to do at no extra charge. These dresses were clearly from a spring-summer collection with their pastel colours and floral inspiration reflecting in the details. The pink and grey gown looked divine all on its own. The neckline and full skirt could be passed off as Victorian but the style of the gown was oddly timeless and ethereal. Hermione gazed at it wondering if she'd look like a fairy princess of her childhood fantasies.

"Why don't you try it Miss?" The shop owner asked kindly. Hermione smiled as she took the gown into the dressing room.

Minutes later she exited to find herself stunned by her own reflection. She looked unbelievable even to her own eyes. Ginny was bereft of words to describe her reaction. "So...?" Hermione asked nervously thinking this gown maybe too much considering it was Halloween. "Oh my God, just take it Hermione, it's gorgeous, it's so you." Ginny declared finally finding words to express her excitement.

"You're very lucky Miss, this gown is one of a kind. Let me get the gloves and shoes that go with it." The shop owner smiled as he stepped into a room beside the counter.

"You really are lucky. If everything Lavender says is true, then these are really rare. Handmade gowns are only for the super wealthy, they cost an arm and leg, maybe even a liver or something." Ginny said as they meandered towards The Three Broomsticks, their arms laden with packages, it appeared that Ginny was more delighted by their find than Hermione.

"Wow, that means Lavender must have spent a significant amount on her gown too. Do you want to swap dresses, Gin?" Hermione offered, because she knew that Ginny would appreciate its exclusivity more than she did. The deep purple gown would look decent on her even though she didn't have Ginny's fabulous red hair. Hermione had always found her brown locks boring and mundane. Perhaps that's why Tonks ability to change her appearance fascinated her.

Hermione had been lost in her own thoughts and hadn't noticed the shock on Ginny's face at her suggestion, until Hermione realized that Ginny wasn't alongside her. She turned around to find Ginny frozen to the spot looking rather upset.

"Are you ok Gin?" Hermione asked concerned and not sure what had upset her dear friend.

"Hermione, you can't always be so kind and generous. People will take advantage of you. I'm not going to swap gowns and don't you dare swap it with anyone else either. Actually..." Ginny trailed off as they reached The Three Broomsticks.

"Ginny...?" Hermione asked wondering what had captured her attention.

"Hermione, can you shrink your package or something. I don't think Lavender should know that you have a new gown. She is very insecure when it comes to you. I don't want her destroying your gown or something." Ginny explained with a sad smile.

Hermione understood Ginny's concern and she wished she could have discussed her find openly with her friends, even though Harry and Ron probably wouldn't care too much about it. She nodded and performed _reducio_ , effectively shrinking the packages to be able to stow them in her bag.

They found Harry, Ron and Lavender seated at a table in the corner and joined them after placing their orders for Butterbeer.

"I was about to launch a search for you two. Hope you're all set for the Ball now." Harry asked as he hugged Ginny.

"Ginny's got the most gorgeous gown, it looks lovely on her. But I think I'll just modify one of my older dresses to fit the Victorian theme." Hermione replied quickly.

"You didn't find anything you liked?" Harry asked in a sad voice. He always felt that Hermione didn't give herself enough attention, the only time she'd dressed up was for the Yule Ball. Probably because she had to open the dance with Victor Krum.

"Perhaps it's best not to waste your money on a beautiful new gown when there's no one to notice you, right?" Lavender remarked pointedly. Harry glared at Ron and her as Ron gave Hermione an apologetic look.

Ginny's eyes narrowed at Lavender's comment but Hermione merely shrugged. "It's true, I'm only attending the Ball because it's mandatory. I don't have a date and I'd much rather invest my time in doing something useful." Hermione declared proudly.

"When I met you in the first year, I thought you were really smart. You seemed to know as much as the teachers but I now see that it's easier for you to be with books than people. It's sad that in a school full of people, not one boy is interested in you. Even Bulstrode and Eloise have dates for the Ball, though I think Millicent threatened to rip the guy apart if he didn't ask her to the ball but that's just the rumour." Lavender said nonchalantly.

Hermione found that she was quite immune to Lavender's nasty words, Ginny on the other hand was getting annoyed with the blonde.

"Hermione does have people interested in her. In case, you've forgotten she dated Victor Krum and she probably will find out who her secret admirer is at the Ball." Ginny added with a wicked grin. Lavender paled at the thought of the secret admirer, she hadn't forgotten her punishment for touching the flowers.

"I would rather be dateless than have someone who sends me cursed flowers. I wouldn't be surprised if he's a Death Eater." Lavender declared vehemently shuddering for dramatic effect.

"Not everyone who knows curses and jinxes are Death Eaters. It was just a protective spell." Ginny defended the unknown admirer.

"Madame Pomfrey had never seen this curse before and she said that it was a combination of 2 or more curses. She tried a variety of counter curses before I had any relief from the stinging pain. Any sensible person should be terrified of such a person." Lavender stated smugly, hinting not so subtly that Ginny lacked good sense.

"You should be afraid, after all I'm quite sure he doesn't like you. He probably saw the whole scene with the flowers." Ginny replied coolly.

Hermione watched the exchange in silence and decided that she would ask Malfoy about his thoughts on Lavender the next time she met him. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she saw him entering the pub. He looked distracted and restless to her. The furrow marring his usually smooth brow a sure sign that he was worried. His features quickly rearranged themselves to his normal expression of disdain the moment his friends followed in behind him. Daphne sat so close to Draco that she looked like his conjoined twin, however he appeared rather indifferent to her, neither objecting nor entertaining her closeness to him.

Harry had been watching Malfoy too. He was certain that Malfoy was up to something but that was all. He'd seen Malfoy skulking all over school and he was high strung not to mention constantly exhausted. Harry was wondering when he should have a word with Hermione about Malfoy, when Malfoy excused himself from his friends heading towards the washroom at the back. Harry made a move to follow him but a rather sloshed Slughorn approached their table. He seemed to be rather upset that Harry hadn't participated in his special parties and insisted that Hermione and Harry join him for his Christmas party.

"You can tell he's a Slytherin." Ron grumbled to no one in particular. "What do you mean?" Hermione inquired, considering Professor Slughorn was a vast improvement to Snape who had a personal vendetta against the Gryffindors.

"He could never once say my name right, Weaselbee or Weatherby or something or the other. I mean how hard is it to say Weasely." Ron looked genuinely upset.

"I'm sure it's just the Firewhiskey talking, don't worry about it." Hermione smiled at Ron and Ron grinned back at her. Lavender shot out of her seat like a bolt of lightning, giving Ron a look of warning before she stomped out. Ron looked at the others in sheer confusion," Did I miss something?"

"I think you better go and check on her before she gets too far." Harry advised, with Ginny and Hermione both nodding in agreement.

Harry tried to look around for Malfoy as they left but he was nowhere to be found. They were discussing Fred and George's involvement in the Halloween Ball preparations when a scream tore through the air. They rushed in the direction it appeared to come from and found Katie Bell hovering a good deal from the ground before she shook violently and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Hermione, Harry and Ginny rushed towards her and only just noticed Angelica who appeared to be the one who yelled. "What happened?" Harry asked as McGonagall and Hagrid appeared and began approaching them.

"I don't know... Katie went to the washroom and when she came out she had that package with her and said that she needed to deliver it to someone. She was behaving rather odd so I asked who gave it to her and I don't know what happened when she touched it." Angelica said, rather shaken by the events.

McGonagall asked Hagrid to carry Katie to the hospital wing as she levitated the opal necklace that had been wrapped in brown paper. Harry's eyes dilated a fraction at the sight of the necklace, he recognized it as the one he had seen it in Borgins and Burkes when he'd accidentally found himself in Knockturn Alley that one time. As he walked back to school with the others, Harry shared this information with Ginny and Hermione.

"It couldn't have got to Hogsmeade on its own." Ginny commented. "I have a feeling Malfoy's involved but what would cursing Katie possibly achieve?" Harry said, watching Hermione from the corners of his eyes. "It could be a diversion..." Hermione replied thoughtfully, "... of course it's only an assumption that Malfoy is involved, we don't have any proof."

"I saw him go to washroom." Harry protested. Hermione shook her head, "Harry did you see the package on him when he went to the washroom?" "Well no, but he could have easily hidden it in his robes." Harry responded, a little deflated realizing that Hermione's logic was sound. "I agree, but until we have concrete proof we can't exactly accuse him and who's to say someone wasn't present beforehand, you weren't observing everyone. Did you even notice Katie entering the washroom for that matter?"

"No." Harry knew Hermione wasn't trying to protect Malfoy, in fact she was trying to keep him from doing something rash, but it did feel like she was preventing him from voicing his allegations to those who could do something. Maybe he'd have that chat with her after the Halloween Ball, he didn't want to further ruin her mood considering she hadn't found a dress, didn't have a date, and her housemate had been attacked all in the course of a single afternoon. Perhaps Katie would be able to tell them who gave her the necklace when she woke up.

By the time they got back the castle was abuzz with the news of Katie's attack. As always, the details were often embroidered but the essence wasn't completely lost. Hermione left Harry and Ginny in the Great Hall to discuss things with rest of the curious Gryffindors. She needed to take a shower and to get a move on her assignments.

Hermione sat in the bathtub, playing with soap bubbles as her mind ran through the possible results of her choosing to help Draco or not. She sighed as she realized that if anyone ever discovered that she had helped him, it would be considered betrayal. Yet to abandon him knowing his fate went against her personal code. She'd help him so long as she wasn't violating any rules directly and hopefully she'd find a way to thwart Voldemort along the way.

If it had been her instead of Katie, she could have just skipped the whole ordeal of deciding what to do, she thought morbidly. Then again, she didn't need to invite any more trouble, she'd had enough of the hospital wing for this year. Malfoy hadn't been very clear on exactly what he needed to do. Not matter how she looked at it, cursing Katie really didn't seem to achieve much. It meant one of two things, either Malfoy wasn't behind it or he was getting careless. As much as she had despised him over the years, Hermione hadn't failed to notice that Malfoy was as meticulous and methodical as she was. It was one of the reasons he'd often escape punishment despite his antics.

She wondered if it was necessary to wait until the ball to tell Malfoy her conditions for her agreement. She eventually decided that she'd take her time informing him of her decision. She needed to find a plausible explanation that wouldn't have her friends worrying about her constant absence. Library...no someone could come hunting for her. Prefect duties... that could work but they weren't every night. Project work... something like Arithmancy or Ancient Runes which none of the others had opted. If she remembered correctly, Malfoy had taken Runes too but they didn't share the same class. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had their classes together while Slytherin and Hufflepuff had theirs together. Would it be too predictable? Or ingenious in its simplicity?

 **A/N: Please follow and review.**


	14. Zhìbèi

**A/N:** Hi everyone, hugs to all my new followers. I hate to keep you all waiting but I'm going to keep updating as soon as the chapter is ready. I can't make any promises with my current work schedule. This chapter is the storm and the calm. 'Zhìbèi' means preparation in Chinese or so says Google Translate. If it's wrong please tell Google.

I'm really curious about your thoughts on this chapter so I'd really love to see some reviews. I'll post the next chapter once we cross 35 reviews...that's not a lot to ask is it? If I get 50 reviews, I'll post something special. This I can promise.

Enjoy!

Love Esa-chan.

 **製備** **(Zhìbèi)**

The week preceding the Halloween Ball was filled with excitement, peppered by nervousness as Katie continued to be in the hospital wing and wasn't allowed any visitors. Either Fred or George could be seen supervising the delivery of various large boxes. Ron had tried to inquire about them but had been promptly told he would have to wait like the rest of the school, Ron had stalked off in a huff muttering under his breath.

Friday morning, the eve of the ball, found Fred sitting at the Gryffindor table. Everyone gave him a hearty welcome, Fred and George were beloved by all especially after their dramatic exit the previous year. They'd even earned the respect of the Slytherins, who had reluctantly always thought that the Weasley twins were pretty cool.

Hermione took her usual seat which just so happened to be beside Fred. She smiled and greeted him, however his response was a little lackluster, so she turned to take a closer look at him. Things rarely got to the twins.

"What's wrong Fred?" Hermione asked in hushed tones. Fred looked at her in surprise and flashed her a winning grin but Hermione wasn't easily dissuaded. She crossed her arms and stared him down, oddly reminding him of his mother. "Katie's still in the hospital wing. She was going to be my date for tomorrow." "You're bummed out that you don't have a date?" Hermione clarified suppressing her laugh. "Yes. George is going with Angelica. It's not going to be fun to be on my own."

"Just ask someone else to the ball then, Parvati's always fancied you." Hermione offered trying to comfort him. "She's going with Zach" Fred replied glumly "Anyone else?"

"What are you two discussing?" Ginny piped up. "Fred's dateless condition on account of Katie being stuck in hospital." Hermione filled her in. "Wow, was it really that bad?" Ginny was astounded. "Not really, she just got the tiniest taste of the curse, but they want to be certain that she's completely recovered before they let her go." Fred informed them. "Damn, she's going to miss the ball. I'm sure she was looking forward to it." Ginny lamented. They sat quietly for a while as Hermione chewed on her pancakes when Ginny smiled at them. Hermione stopped eating and focused her attention on Ginny, she knew that smile and knew that it meant trouble. "Why don't you take Hermione to the ball, Fred? What do you say Hermione? Apart from that thing you need to do, you don't have a date yet, do you?" Ginny rattled off looking excitedly between Fred and Hermione.

"Are you trying to set us up baby sister?" Fred joked. "No, I happen to care too much about Hermione to hand her over to you. But I think you can manage to keep her...umm... _safely..._ entertained for one evening." Ginny said coolly.

"What do you think Hermione? Fancy going to the ball with me?" Fred asked with a grin. Hermione smiled back "Of course." "That's settled then, we're all meeting in the common room at 7.45." Ginny informed Fred.

"I'll have to meet you here as we will be needed to put the finishing touches to the hall before the doors open." Fred replied sheepishly. "That's fine with me." Hermione said before Ginny could protest.

The teachers had eventually given up trying to get the students to do any classwork as everyone was far too excited about the upcoming ball to study. Hermione was actually feeling quite stressed but everyone seemed to read it as nervous excitement and she didn't bother to deny it. She had been observing her blonde-headed trouble-maker over the past week, he looked disturbed. She wasn't one to go back on her word regardless of how impulsive the decision had been. Perhaps, she would live to regret keeping her word but she was certain that if she didn't do something she would definitely regret it.

She had learnt from Harry that sometimes the logical answer may not be the right one, even if the evidence points to the contrary, your heart can still lead you the right way. And she could confidently ascertain that she had made this decision with her heart, because logic told her that it was stupid to trust someone who had been against her very existence since day one. Besides, she couldn't rid herself of the guilt that she was feeling for keeping things from Harry and Ginny. She didn't want to alienate them, especially since things between Ron and her were tense again, but even if Hermione hadn't harboured any feelings towards him, Lavender would continue to be insecure. Ron had been ignoring Hermione so he could regain favour with Lavender. Somehow these things didn't bother her as much as they did in the past. It was an odd relief to realize that she wasn't affected as easily by Ron and Lavender's behaviour. Yet watching Daphne drape herself all over Draco was beginning to annoy her though she had mastered enough self-control not to display her annoyance.

It was Draco's business who he allowed in his personal space and Hermione was no longer under any illusions about the practical exchange of their relationship. There were two key lessons she had to learn from Draco, the first was to not be transparent about her emotions and the second, was learning what to do when she got Ron back with Malfoy's assistance. She had been diligently working on the first, a lot of which she had acquired by observing her partner in crime. She had noticed his smug behaviour since their first year but now she was more aware of his body language and facial expressions, whether in class, or at practice, or at mealtimes. When she compared it to the Malfoy of her previous years, she could see the cracks in his seemingly perfect façade. She knew him much better than she had initially realized or would have ever thought possible. He had clearly been taught never to show fear, yet whenever he felt intimidated he would lower his head just a fraction and blink twice before fixing them with a glare, rather than the usual haughty look. It was an attempt to appear fierce and it fooled almost everyone but she could see through it.

The conversation in the Great Hall during dinner was unsurprisingly centered around the Halloween Ball, whether it was about what they planned to wear or who they were going with, or simply what kind of surprises they were expecting at the feast. Parvati looked genuinely saddened by the news that Hermione hadn't bought a new gown for the occasion.

"But Hermione you looked beautiful at the Yule Ball. I was hoping to see you dressed up again. Should I check with my sister if anyone has something nice that you could borrow?"

"Thanks for the offer." Hermione smiled, touched by the girl's concern for her. "I'm going to be fine. Don't worry about me, Parvati."

"Then let me do your hair and makeup, I'll do such a fantastic job you could wear sack cloth and no one would notice." Parvati insisted.

"Umm... Ginny was supposed to help me with it." Hermione answered not wanting to offend Parvati but knowing how possessive Ginny could be, it was better to warn the girl.

"Ginny!" Parvati called across the table, "Mind if I help you with Hermione's hair and makeup for the Ball?" Ginny looked a bit surprised by the request and looked at Hermione who was feeling put on the spot.

"Sure, so long as you'll do as I ask. I'm open to suggestions but I know her hair better than most, so trust me when I say _that won't work_. Deal?" Ginny smiled. Parvati nodded her confirmation.

"You don't have to do it, if it's too much trouble." Hermione told Parvati when she saw Lavender glare at them.

"Nonsense. Consider this my way of repaying you for all your help on my owls. I wouldn't have made it through Potions or Transfiguration without you." Parvati said in a tone of finality. Hermione decided not to object any further, if this upset Lavender then so be it. She was getting sick of Lavender being territorial about people who were her friends too.

Hermione had decided to go the library to return a few books as it would be closed the next day due to preparations for the ball. As she ambled along the deserted corridors, Hermione allowed her feet to carry her along the familiar route. She stopped abruptly when she heard the sound of voices up ahead. She recognized them but couldn't decipher the contents of the conversation, extendable ears would have been very handy but she didn't have one on her. The sound of footsteps in her direction had Hermione scrambling into the nearest classroom and watching carefully through a crack in the door. Snape was best avoided at the best of times.

Draco didn't know if it was another test setup by Voldemort, after all Snape was one of his trusted servants. He had spied for Voldemort and had kept an eye on Dumbledore, even when the wizarding world believed that The Dark Lord had been vanquished. He was really hoping that Hermione would agree to help him, yet he was petrified if someone discovered her involvement. He knew that the others wouldn't need an excuse to torture her. He shuddered as he walked towards his dorm, recalling his horrible vision from when he'd consumed the poison from Hermione. He'd vowed to himself that he would die rather than torture her.

Hermione saw him shiver as he passed by the classroom. She stretched out her arm and grabbed at the back of his robes dragging him into the room. Draco stumbled backwards into her as she shut the door, missing his nose by a mere centimetre and landed on top of her in a heap. Unaware of who his assailant was Draco struggled to pin them down, eventually succeeding in holding both wrists in one hand while the other reached for his wand. He locked the door and added a silencing charm along with a few others to ensure no one would disturb him during his interrogation.

He used Lumos and was surprised to see Hermione. Her hair was tousled from their struggle but she looked relatively unharmed, unless you counted the bruises quickly forming on wrists.

"Granger? What are you doing?" Draco asked. Hermione hadn't expected him to react as he had and couldn't quite explain what she had thought by pulling him into the room.

"Umm... I wanted to ask what Snape and you were talking about." She answered after thinking for a moment. Draco was about to answer when he began to doubt if this was Hermione altogether. Professor Moody had been one of Voldemort's underlings who had infiltrated the school and used polyjuice potion. Hermione's bushy hair wouldn't be too hard to acquire. So instead of answering her he used his wand to bind her hands. He just needed to keep her here for an hour.

"Draco, what is going on? What are you doing?" Hermione asked, aghast at his behaviour.

"I'm not sure why you assaulted me and honestly I don't believe you." Draco explained calmly.

"So, what are going to do with me?" She asked, exasperated that he didn't believe her but more concerned about the dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Practice." Draco grinned mischievously, his eyes scanning her form. Hermione's eyes widened at his insinuation and started to lick her lips nervously.

"Do you know how to give a blow job?" Draco teased her.

"Not with my hands tied up." Hermione threw back, not sure what he planned on doing to her. It would probably be quite hilarious if she had been a Death Eater in disguise to be subjected to sexual harassment. But since she wasn't this would just be sexual harassment.

"This is harassment Malfoy. You can't subject me to your twisted fantasies." Hermione retorted. "My darling Granger, you are currently in no position to make any demands. I'm perfectly capable of fulfilling my wildest fantasies and leaving you none the wiser about it." Draco replied smoothly winking at her.

Draco knew that if he was being tested by Voldemort, then he would only be satisfied if Draco raped Hermione until she begged for death. He wasn't sure which of the Death Eaters would willingly volunteer for such a task but if he had found someone, well Draco couldn't show any signs of weakness. But, if this was Hermione, _his_ Hermione, she would never forgive him for violating her, regardless of his suspicions. Hell, he'd never be able to forgive himself. He just needed to occupy them for an hour at most, he concluded. If it was a Death Eater they'd return to their original form and if it was Hermione he could explain himself, hopefully.

Hermione was stunned by his response. She wasn't sure what would happen, perhaps she'd wake up in her bed with no memory of what had happened to her. Perhaps she'd find herself in the hospital wing, again, and maybe this time the nightmares would be real.

"Let's play a game." Draco said as he joined her on the floor. "It's called 'Stop/Start'. The rules are very simple; each round is 10 minutes, you get 5 and I get 5. On your turn you can choose the apparatus, right now we have hands and mouth. I'll start and you tell me where you want me to stop. Ready? You just have to play 5 rounds with me, don't think it's me and just enjoy yourself." He laughed wickedly.

"So, hands or mouth, or both? We can change it in each round if we like." Draco informed her casually. Hermione just glared at him. "If you don't pick I will. You have until the count of 5. 1...2...3...4..." Draco threatened her. Hermione didn't like to be threatened and it often made her act recklessly. "Both." She answered with a smirk, parting her legs that had been crossed at the ankle so far. Draco was taken aback by her bravado but didn't show it. He nestled himself between her thighs and looked her in the eyes as he grabbed her head and kissed her almost violently. Hermione could feel the fire on his lips as he pried open her mouth while his hands began ripping off her uniform. His right hand was on her left breast as he pulled off her school sweater. "Stop!" Hermione shrieked as she gasped for air.

Draco smiled wickedly before continuing to fondle her left breast with his hand, bringing his mouth over the little pebble that showed through her thin school shirt. Who would have thought that studious bookworms liked lace lingerie? Hermione couldn't help the surprised moan that tore itself from her lips. "Draco, you said you'd stop." She struggled, confused by her own arousal.

"You weren't paying attention. You tell me where to stop and I will give _that_ place special attention. You need to do the same when I ask you to stop, so keep that in mind. You have another minute to go." Draco explained it as if it was obvious.

"Start?" Hermione said tentatively just so that she understood the way the instructions worked. Draco promptly left her breast alone and proceeded to undo her shirt.

Hermione looked down at herself wondering if she could last 5 rounds of this game. She wasn't going to be beaten by a stupid sex game. It was simple enough if she simply gave into her instinct and she could safely fulfil her own fantasies without repercussion. She smiled as she raised her bound wrists to him asking Draco, "Hands, mouth or both?"

"Both." He answered noticing her shift in demeanour. She caught his tie pulling him towards her and kissing him as fiercely as he had kissed her. She undid his tie and robes swiftly for someone whose hands were tied. She didn't let go of his lips for a single moment as she undid his shirt and she had just unbuttoned his trousers when Draco pushed her away saying his turn was done.

"Start." Hermione commanded confidently undoing her own skirt and letting it fall to her ankles as she stood up. Draco looked at his pocket watch that lay on the floor besides him. Another 20 mins and he could be fairly certain if this was Hermione. But what in Merlin's name was going through her head. Did she want him to fuck her? Or was she taunting him? Was this truly a test by Voldemort?

He chose to ignore her suggestive move and wrapped his arms around her waist as he continued to kiss her. He proceeded to kiss her into his own turn, after about 20 minutes of making out, Draco took a step back and stared at Hermione's flushed face and swollen lips. She looked pissed mad and Draco knew his suspicions were false. "Get dressed and leave." he instructed her, as he undid the bonds on her wrists before unlocking the door.

"Don't I deserve some explanation as to why I was just sexually assaulted?" Hermione gritted out, itching to hit the blonde with a few choice hexes. "It's really late right now. I promise I'll explain it to you tomorrow, once I have your answer." Draco smiled apologetically as he buttoned up his shirt. Hermione checked that she'd dressed correctly before walking over to him.

"Draco...", she said softly. He looked at her, confused by the gentleness in her voice as he tucked his tie beneath his collar, he'd expected her to yell or be rude. "Don't ever fuck around with me like this again or you'll never be a father." She caught his tie pulling him closer before giving him a loud ringing slap across the cheek.

"Good night love." She blew him a kiss as she left the room.

Hermione couldn't believe the gall of the man. How could he kiss and touch her so intimately in the name of a game? It was surely a violation of her body yet she felt less violated and more frustrated by his ministrations. That boy had a delightful mouth and the warmth of his hands never failed to surprise her. He'd been far less gentle with her than in the past but it had fuelled her rather than terrifying her. Did she like it rough she wondered? Well understanding her sexual aptitude was part of the deal, wasn't it?

Hermione couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she could see his half-dressed form. She had almost stripped him down during their little game. She couldn't rid herself of her restlessness and considered taking a sleeping potion. Madame Pomfrey had told her that she should avoid sleeping potions as the everlasting sleep poison may not be out of her system yet.

So she did the next best thing, she decided to play with herself. In her imaginings they kept playing the game and Draco rubbed her in all the right places until she couldn't hold back her orgasm. Hermione finally fell asleep after finding some release.

Draco couldn't sleep either. He had most certainly assaulted Hermione and definitely upset her. This situation was getting more twisted with each move he made. If he had hated his predicament at the start of the year then he positively detested it now, and his dislike for his task was rising like bile in his throat. He had developed insomnia over the last few months and clearly he was getting careless in his desperation, he could now add paranoia to his list of ever growing ailments or was it already on his list? His world was unravelling and he wanted to run away from it all.

He prayed to unseen gods that Hermione would agree to help him despite his transgression and offer him an opportunity to explain himself. He knew divulging everything would put her in danger. He needed to come up with a satisfactory plan that she would find acceptable.

Hermione hid her face in her pillow as soon as she woke up. She had become like every other girl in Hogwarts, she was dreaming of Malfoy. He was in her thoughts; between her thighs with her hands on his shoulders and his hips slamming into hers. If it had just been a crazy hormone induced fantasy she would have dismissed it as growing up pains but her desire for the boy was on the rise much to her own dismay.

It's just the weird events of the previous night, she told herself. Her brain was trying to understand it and cope with the trauma. It was the only logical explanation and she needed to keep her focus if she was to help him without being discovered by friend or foe.

Please R&R!

Love...Esa-chan.


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